February 7 to February 21, 2025
Lake Erie Tributaries
The Lake Erie tributaries had been frozen over for the past few weeks. However, with a couple milder temperature days recently, there has been some thawing on Cattaraugus Creek above Gowanda. Anglers were catching some steelhead in open spots on Thursday. There could be some thawing on the other creeks as well. For those new to steelhead fishing see Steelhead Fishing in Lake Erie Tributaries.
Niagara River
Much of the floating chunk ice has diminished from the lower river and the action has picked back up for boaters. Controlled drifting with bottom bouncing rigs has produced a solid mix of steelhead, lake trout, brown trout and walleye. Gorge anglers should exercise extreme caution due to icy shorelines. The NYPA fishing platform and other fishing facilities are closed for winter season. For fishing access maps and lower river fishing information, see Fishing the Lower Niagara River.
Lake Ontario, Tributaries, Harbors and Piers
Eighteenmile and Oak Orchard Creeks have open water at the base of the dams, and swifter sections below have opened up a bit. The bite for a mix of steelhead and brown trout has ranged from slow to decent. All other streams are locked up with ice. Wilson Harbor has good ice and provides ice fishing for a mix of panfish and northern pike. For those new to steelhead fishing, see Steelhead Fishing in Lake Ontario Tributaries.
Ice Fishing
Western New York’s inland waters have thick ice coverings, giving good vibes for an extended ice fishing season. Keep in mind that ice thickness can vary greatly on the same body of water. Safety is essential throughout ice season and anglers should make sure ice is thick enough before venturing out. Four inches of solid clear ice is usually safe for anglers on foot. Five inches is better for groups fishing together. Drilling holes or tapping with a spud bar to check ice thickness is recommended on your way out, or when moving around. Safety ice picks, boot cleats, throw rope and flotation devices are recommended safety supplies. Use good judgement and fish with a friend if possible. Avoid any areas near open water, dock bubblers, stream inlets and outlets.
See I FISH NY Beginners Guide to Ice Fishing (PDF) and Learn to Ice Fish for safety, how-to, and location information.
Chautauqua Lake
Chautauqua Lake has ice of 10 inches plus. The yellow perch bite has been very good lake wide in 6-15 feet of water. Areas with weeds are best. Upsize baits and lures to target larger perch. Sunfish are found in the same areas as perch and more readily hit jigs with grubs. Walleye fishing has been challenging for most. They can be found around weed edges and out to 30 feet of water. Optimal time to target walleye is around dawn and dusk. Jigging with jigging Rapalas and vertical spoons tipped with a minnow is a common tactic. White perch are typically available in the deep holes of the north basin at depths over 30 feet. Visit the Chautauqua Lake page for more information.
Buffalo Boat Harbor
The inner harbor has 10 inches of ice. Ice anglers report a decent bite for a mix of yellow perch, sunfish and crappie, with some nice sized keepers mixed in. Tip-ups with large shiners produce the occasional northern pike. Anglers fishing the departure area outside the inner harbor entrance, report catches of perch and northern pike. Access harbor ice from the boat launches. Walking on, or any other use of the boat slip docks is not permitted.
Silver Lake
Silver Lake ice ranges from 8-10 inches. Anglers report a slow sunfish and perch bite in shallower weedy areas. Yellow perch catch numbers are better at depths over 20 feet, but most are running small. Silver is a top regional option for northern pike and they are found lake wide. Tip ups with large shiners is a proven tactic. In shallow areas, setting shiners at mid-water collum is a good bet. In deeper areas, shiners run a foot or two off bottom has worked well for pike that are cruising the perch schools. Visit the Silver Lake Places to Fish page for more information.
Honeoye Lake
Jigging for sunfish and perch around the south end has been slow. Lots of lookers. Tip-ups with medium shiners set in weedy areas mostly catch largemouth bass, chain pickerel and yellow perch. Yellow perch are the dominant catch at depths over 20 feet. The bonus walleye catch is possible in both shallow and deeper areas. Visit the Honeoye Lake Places to Fish page for more information.
Conesus Lake
On the north end of Conesus Lake anglers are mostly catching bluegill and the occasional yellow perch in 8-10 feet of water. The bite has been slower, but the majority of fish caught are good sized. Tip-ups with large shiners produce some norther pike catches, with the very occasional tiger muskellunge.
Canadice Lake
At Canadice Lake anglers typically target a mix of panfish in shallow zones. Suspended lake trout are available over deeper water. Jigging with spoons is a good bet. After dark, anglers equipped with a lantern target smelt just under the ice.
Southern Tier Lakes
Case Lake, Harwood Lake, New Albion Lake, Allen Lake, Red House Lake, and Quaker Lakes all have good ice and provide fishing opportunities for a fair mix of warmwater fish. Anglers also have the chance to catch large broodstock trout (12”-30”), as each lake was stocked with broodstock trout in fall (see species and numbers stocked below). Some holdover spring stockies are also available on some of the lakes.
Cuba Lake
Be aware that the state-owned parking area off South Shore Rd. is closed due to a repair project on Cuba Lake Dam.
Surplus Broodstock Trout Stocking
DEC Randolph Fish Hatchery conducted fall stocking of broodstock trout in October. All broodstock trout are over 2 years old. The following waters were stocked. Quaker Lake - 170 rainbow trout (24”-30”) and 175 brown trout (17”-22”); Red House Lake - 30 rainbow trout (30”) and 200 brown trout (17”); Case Lake - 800 brook trout (12”-20”), 15 rainbow trout (30”) and 25 brown trout (22”); Harwood Lake - 425 brook trout (12”-20”) and 15 rainbow trout (30”); New Albion Lake – 200 brook trout (12”-20”) and 50 brown trout (17”-22”); Allen Lake – 250 brook trout (12”-20”).
The fishing hotline can also be heard at 716-855-3474. If you need more fishing information or would like to contribute to the fishing report, please call or e-mail Mike Todd (716-851-7010; [email protected]). Good Luck Fishing!