Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 06/08 – 06/14/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  Although I’m away on vacation as most of you are reading this, it was a full week, so I wanted to leave everyone with a little something.  It was one of those weeks on Lake Erie where every trip had a story. A last‑minute cancellation turned into an unexpected session with a country music artist who said yes to a fan’s fishing invite. A three‑generation crew reminded me why family time on the water matters. A group of teenage boys hammered fish between storm cells and conspiracy debates. Long‑time clients battled picky bites and super‑clear water. New clients proved that old friendships and annual traditions still matter. And I wrapped it all up with a half‑day grind before heading out on vacation.

Days on the water: 5

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Erie, Upper Niagara

What we caught:  walleye, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum

Tactics:  trolling worm harnesses, casting finesse baits

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

06/08/2026 – Last Minute Providence

Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Buffalo, NY with Kristen, Creed, and Roxy. I had a cancellation for this day a couple days prior, so I was planning on my usual day‑off routine of running errands and going to the gym. Then my buddy Joe Srouji of Anglers Edge Outdoors called the night before to see if I was available for a trip. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to get in some more reps. He put me in touch with Kristen.

She had attended a Creed Fisher concert at Iron Works that evening and had the courage to get backstage after sound check and meet Creed. She told him how much she enjoyed his music and asked if he wanted to go fishing. Amazingly, he said yes. I say “amazingly” because how many performing artists do you think would accept a fishing invite from a random fan—and the day after a performance?

I’ve never really listened to much country music, so when Kristen explained who he was and the story of her fandom, I went into the trip with an open mind. To me, it was another opportunity to show off the fishery to someone from out of town and make sure everyone had a good time.

We had a blast. Conversation flowed for hours, and before long we had our limit of Lake Erie gold. On the drive home, I listened to his music for the first time—and I have to say, I’m a fan.

06/09/2026 (morning) – 3 Generation Session

Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Buffalo, NY with Bill, Scott, and six‑year‑old Lincoln — grandfather, dad, and son. I’m a huge fan of three‑generation sessions, and it seems like there’s been an uptick in them this year. Maybe it’s a sign of shifting priorities for this generation of parents.

Quick aside: I get a lot of calls from parents asking about the best age to get their kids into fishing. My answer is always the same — you know your kid better than I do. I’ve had five‑year‑olds on the boat who were laser‑focused and surprisingly good anglers. And I’ve had eleven‑year‑olds who started complaining an hour into the trip that they were hot and wanted to go in.  As a parent, you need to ask yourself what kind of day do you want to have and understand what your child is capable of.  Don’t underestimate your kids though – if they’re interested in fishing, their endurance will surprise you.

We started the day at 6:00 AM, so I was already impressed that Scott got Lincoln up and moving early enough to make that happen. I was even more impressed with how engaged Lincoln stayed throughout the trip. By hour three, he finally said out loud what all of us were thinking: “When are we heading back in?”

Why? Because we filled the box quickly, there was no wind, it was brutally hot and humid, the lake was crowded, and the midges were horrendous. Why keep grinding? We were only a couple fish short of our limit, and everyone was happy to head in and beat the crowds back to the cleaning station.

Awesome session.

06/09/2026 (afternoon) – Dodging Storms with the Boys

Fished an afternoon session on Lake Erie for walleyes out of Buffalo, NY with John, Michael, and Alex. I love these trips — parents drop their teenage boys off with me and we get to work. I fished with John and a couple of his friends last summer for bass and we had a blast. This time, he wanted to catch fish they could eat and show that he knew how to clean them — my kind of kid.

As we headed out, I could see thunderheads and showers on the horizon, so we got to work with ruthless efficiency and got into fish right away. When those ominous clouds crept closer, we pulled lines and tucked under the Hwy 5 bridge for about 30 minutes. The storm cells ended up missing us anyway, so we raced back out and got after it. The boys hammered while we talked about conspiracy theories and what life is like for teenagers these days. I get plenty of intel from my teenage daughter — the girl’s perspective — so it was interesting hearing it from the boys’ angle.

Public service announcement to all parents: if your kids are into fishing but you aren’t, you don’t need to feign interest. My father wasn’t an angler either. I got into fishing on my own, rode my bike to wherever I could fish, and he enabled the passion by taking us up to Georgian Bay, renting runabouts, and letting us roam. Booking a charter for your kids is the same thing. I’ve never had a negative experience with this — and I’ve done more than a handful.

06/10/2026 – Back out with Brian and Doc

Fished Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara with Brian and Doc.  I’ve been fishing with these guys for 6 years now and every session is a good time – non-stop conversation and stories for days.  The mission was to target walleyes for a couple hours then convert to bass fishing.  Mission accomplished.

The walleye bite was a little picky, but we got into them.  Lake Erie was rolling so I decided to move to the river to target bass.  The bass bite was equally picky.  It’s late in the spawn and every fish was in rough shape – skinny and some were badly beat up.  We caught many, but most were small males.  Plus, the algae in the river was problematic at times.  Although we battled wind and SUPER CLEAR water, the guys did well and, as always, we had a blast.    

06/11/2026 – Lake Erie Gold with New Clients

Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Buffalo, NY with Dan, Jeff, and Todd.  These guys are all close to my age and are high school buddies.  They make it a priority to hang out and do different activities throughout the year – that’s awesome, I love seeing it from guys in their 40s.  It means they’ll continue it until they can’t physically do it anymore.  Something everyone in our generation should aspire to.

The walleye bite was consistent – we got our limit in a few hours and converted to bass fishing.  The forecast called for wind gusting into the teens out of the SW and 1-3’ waves – but that didn’t happen.  It was super calm out there so the bass bite was a grind.  The fish we did catch were super skinny after being in spawn more for a couple weeks now.     

06/13/2026 – Half Day B4 Vacay

Fished a half day trip on Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY for walleyes and bass with Ed, Jesse, and Dom.  Lake Erie had a good walleye going but the bite was lackluster compared to recent outings.  We fished for an hour and a half and only managed 6 fish.  Not sure why it was slower for me – there’s still plenty of bait around, but I did notice the water temps are getting hot out there.  Close to 70 degrees.

Anyway, the guys only wanted a few for dinner, so we pivoted to bass/drum fishing.  We got a few.

06/14/2026 – Trip to Snake River Departure

To be continued…

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 06/15/2026 – 06/21/2026

The forecast for the upcoming week looks tough. Rain, big wind, and cooler temperatures will create some challenges — but that might also slow down the rapid climb in water temps we’ve been seeing. I won’t be around, so good luck to all of you getting after it. Stay tuned for my trip report. I’m hoping to tangle with some dinosaurs in a gorgeous place. I’ll be back on the water next Sunday.

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 06/01 – 06/07/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  Well, my streak came to an end, folks. It was bittersweet, but both Mother Nature and some maintenance issues conspired to force me to rest…for a day. Despite a little friction — and some awesome support from the folks at Collins Marine — I still managed to spend time on Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the Upper Niagara.  As promised, I spent most of my time chasing Lake Erie gold. It felt good to get some reps in and fill the box with a few beauties. Things are changing fast out there, and I’m happy to meet the new challenges head‑on.  Summer is close — it’s going to be a good one.

Days on the water: 6

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Ontario, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie

What we caught:  smallmouth bass, king salmon, walleye

Tactics:  trolling spoons, casting finesse baits, drifting live bait, trolling worm harnesses

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

06/01/2026 – Fishing with David – Day 1

Fished the Upper Niagara with David.  Dave’s been fishing with me for a few years now.  He’s lived a long and very interesting life.  A retired firefighter, he’s managed to stay in shape and continue to travel the continent hunting big game and fishing wherever he can.  He’s covered a lot of ground – but keeps coming back to the Buffalo Niagara Region for its diversity.  On day 1 of this trip, we pursued smallmouth bass…and caught MANY. 

06/02/2026 – Fishing with David – Day 2

Fished Lake Ontario out of Wilson, NY with David via Matt Yablonski (Wet Net Charters). I guess this was the day my streak ended.  I fished – but didn’t guide – so one streak ended but my time on the water streak stayed intact.   

On Sunday (05/31/2026), my trailer broke. After putting my boat in the water that afternoon, I heard something dragging as I drove to a parking spot. Upon inspection, I saw the leaf springs on my starboard side had snapped and my brake lines were severed. Everything connected to my axles was badly rusted and close to failing — it was only a matter of time. All the road salt from trailering winter and spring, plus the ridiculous number of potholes around here, were the likely culprits.

Bottom line: my trailer needed repairs. Collins Marine took care of me and let me dock there until the trailer was fixed. That meant I was confined to the Upper Niagara and Lake Erie. I wanted Dave to get out on Lake Ontario as planned, and luckily Matt had the day open and was able to take us out.

We got our limit with ease. It was nice just being an observer for the day. I used to first mate for Matt back in 2017 and 2018 when I wasn’t booked. I learned a lot from him then, and learned even more from this outing.

Although my streak ended, I was happy Dave got the chance to battle some kings and leave with plenty of meat. I was also grateful for the learning opportunity.

06/03/2026 – Fishing with David – Day 3

Fished Lake Erie near Buffalo, NY with David.  In the spirit of catching multiple species on his trip, we decided to target bass and Lake Erie gold.  The bass bite was kind of a grind – a little bit of action – the lack of wind made it tough.  So, we converted to walleyes.  That went well.

06/04/2026 – Anglers Edge Assist – Day 1

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Jeff and Vestal.  My buddy, Joe Srouji (Anglers Edge Outdoors) brought me in on this trip.  The target was walleyes.  We got our limit with relative ease.  It wasn’t insane like mid-summer last year, but after covering a little ground and finding a good group of fish, the action was consistent.  Unfortunately, I didn’t take any pictures – blood lust kicked in.  That was a problem last year and it’ll likely be a problem again this year.  I’ll try my best to temper it.

06/05/2026 – Anglers Edge Assist – Day 2

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Jeff, Vestal, and Clint.  I forgot to mention this in the last entry, but these guys are all former military.  It was an absolute blast fishing with them – non-stop ball busting and telling stories.  These guys live all around the country – Arizona, Maryland, and Texas.  It was good to see a few older vets still making it a priority to get together every year and do something fun.  I aspire to do the same.

The bite was a grind at first – until the wind kicked up.  Once the walleye chop started rolling, action got crazy.  Once again, blood lust kicked in and I didn’t take any photos.  Well, at the end of the day, I reminded myself to take at least one.   

06/06/2026 – First Day off the Water in 52 Days

I had a trip booked – one of my regulars who fishes with me a couple times per year.  He lives near Corning, NY and planned on coming in with his buddies the night prior and staying in a hotel. 

The forecast called for rain and HUGE wind.  I gave him an out and understandably, he took it.  We could’ve fished, but it would’ve been nautical and they didn’t want to risk making that drive and spending money on a hotel to potentially have a day cut short due to huge waves.   

I was a little disappointed for my on-the-water streak to come to an end.  However, it felt good to stay up late and watch a little bit of TV the night prior (the first time in nearly two months) and sleep in the following day.  I took advantage of the time off the water to hit the gym, catch up on accounting, and get a haircut. 

06/07/2026 – 3 Generation Session

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Howard, Dan, and Jake – 3 generations of anglers.  This was their first time fishing with me and we had a blast.  We started off with smallmouth bass and got into a few quickly – then the wind died.  So, we converted to walleyes.  That bite was excellent.  Nothing insane – the kind of bite I like – some wild points, some long droughts, and a strong finish.  The guys left happy with their limit of walleyes.  I’m looking forward to seeing them again.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 06/08/2026 – 06/14/2026

The forecast for this upcoming week looks like summer – hot days with minimal wind and sporadic precipitation.  I’m booked daily and expect to fish all of them.  I’ll check in on the Upper once.  Lake O might get some attention too.  However, the bulk of my days will be spent on Lake Erie in pursuit of gold. 

There won’t be a fishing report this week – I depart for Idaho this weekend.  Stand by for the trip report!

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

P.S.  I only have one day open this month.  July is filling up but uncomfortably lean considering it’s less than month away.  I’m not too worried (yet), it’s finally warm/hot and people are starting to think about summer – I received a little uptic in calls this past week.  Still, I have plenty of openings for summer walleye trips.  Call soon and pick your date before there aren’t many left. 

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 05/25 – 05/31/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  Another week on the books where I managed to fish all 7 days! That’s 47, folks – and I’m feeling great. King salmon, smallmouth bass, and walleyes were the targets.  I covered a lot of water to stay in the action and keep tabs on all the changes happening around the Buffalo Niagara fishery. Lake Ontario delivered some arm-burning chaos (and some hard lessons), Lake Erie kept me humble, and a couple 360 programs on the Upper Niagara allowed me to keep tabs on the smallmouth bass spawn. Mix in some familiar faces, some new ones, and a lesson or two I probably should’ve already known — it was great week, especially this late in spring.

Days on the water: 7

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Ontario, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie

What we caught:  smallmouth bass, king salmon, coho salmon, walleye

Tactics:  trolling spoons, casting finesse baits, drifting live bait, bottom bouncing worm harnesses

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

05/25/2026 – Memorial Day Reconnect

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Heath and Casey.  I’ve been fishing with this father/daughter duo for 8 years now.  However, it’d been awhile since I last fished with Casey (teenage life getting in the way).  Catching king salmon had been a dream of hers so we set out to make that happen. 

It was a gorgeous day – and dead calm on Lake Ontario.  It took us a little bit to get into a consistent bite, but once we figured out the pattern, it was chaos.  Awesome session – arms were trashed – they tapped out after a few hours.

05/26/2026 – Recon with the Whisperer

Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Buffalo, NY with the Whisperer.  It was a recon mission – just poking around to see where we could find fish.  Well, we only found a couple.  After all the east winds, the water got super clear and a couple of degrees colder around the eastern basin.  Not sure if that contributed to the lack of action – but whatever the cause, they weren’t stacked up anywhere we went.  So be it – it’s early – and we learned.  No pictures taken.

05/27/2026 – Jerry and Mark Trip (Day 1)

Fished the Upper Niagara with Jerry and Mark.  I hadn’t seen these guys in more than a year.  They usually fish with me in the fall, but weather got in the way last year.  I was happy they wanted to give spring a shot.  We kicked it off with a little bassing.

I did what I always do this time of year – fished the entire circumference of Grand Island, NY and hit every drift only once.  The water was gin clear everywhere except the northern bank downstream of the canal – it’s still burping out mud from the rain we had last week.  In all that clear water, I could see beds everywhere in shallow.  So, we stayed deep and hunted females.  We found quite a few.

Also, small schools of smelt are circulating throughout the upper.  Many of the girls we caught threw them up – some freshly eaten.  I love it when those big baits are in the system – lots of calories to aid in growth and recovery from the spawn. 

05/28/2026 – Jerry and Mark Trip (Day 2)

Fished Lake Ontario out of Wilson, NY followed by the Lower Niagara with Jerry and Mark.  We got into salmon right away and had a consistent bite for the first hour or so.  However, the action died off a bit for the second hour – a few bites but nothing landed.  Then, another spike in action to complete our box.  That’s the emotional roller coaster of salmon fishing for me – lots of talking to myself – “stick it out, man!  It’ll happen.”

With our limit achieved, we moved to the Lower Niagara for a short session targeting smallies and whatever else would bite.  Jerry managed a steelhead right away.  However, it was a total grind after that.  Should’ve stayed on Lake O and just released salmon – but you know me, always curious about what’s going on somewhere else after being in a spot for a while.

As always, it was an awesome 2 days spent with these guys.  They’ll be back and I look forward to having them.     

05/29/2026 – Getting Humbled

Fished Lake Ontario out of Wilson, NY with Frank and Lois. The original plan was to fish Lake Erie for bass and walleyes. However, as I was getting ready for bed, Frank called to see if we could go for salmon instead. My reply was something like, “Don’t tempt me with a good time. Let’s do it!”

I followed the same route I did yesterday and we got into fish right away—two small ones and one decent-sized fish. Then things got quiet for a while. I should’ve continued my route from the day prior, out into deeper and clearer water. However, I decided to head in the other direction—into the more stained stuff.

You might ask, “Why would you do that?” Good question: because when I ended my day the day prior in that zone, I marked a lot of fish. I marked a lot of fish on this day too. We got bit there, but nothing stayed buttoned—likely because the water clarity had them swiping at the spoons instead of hammering them. Lesson learned: as my friend Matt Yablonsky (Wet Net Charters) told me—during this period of transition, when in doubt, keep going out.

Note: Frank has been a client for five years now and has been up here many times during that period. He always comes up for three days. He booked this trip early spring, when I only had one day open. Since he wanted three, I sent him to my buddy Mike Trifiletti (Riverborn Fishing) for the first two days. I bring this up because he was well-fished from the days prior to fishing with me. So, we decided to cut it off at a half-day trip instead of continuing to grind. I was happy to get a little rest, but it hurt getting humbled like that.

Another note: I consider myself a tourist on Lake Ontario, as I only fish it in the spring. The big-boat guys, like my buddy Matt, spend all their days out there. I can only aspire to know the system as well as they do. However, I learned a lot this spring, as I fished out there way more this year than I ever have in a season. It’s been awesome sharpening the sword on Lake O, and I intend to do more of it in years to come. In the spring, that is—walleyes will continue to be my summer love.

05/30/2026 – Good Times with New Clients

Fished the Upper Niagara with Dave, Josh, and Matt.  The weather didn’t turn out as forecasted.  The wind was bigger and from a few northerly directions throughout the day.  It stayed cloudy until after noon.  Plus, it was chilly.  Put those factors together and you’ve got a challenging situation for fishing the Upper.  Thankfully, these guys were a blast and genuinely happy to be on the water.  Fish were caught – but it was a grind for the most part.  Still, they had no frame of reference and had a great time.  I was happy they were happy – but also wishing they got to see it when conditions are prime.

05/31/2026 – Welcome to Buffalo, NY

Fished an afternoon trip on the Upper Niagara with Austin.  He reached out a few days prior looking for an opportunity to get on the water in the next week or so.  I told him I was booked but that if I had a cancellation, I’d give him a call.  That cancellation came – and he was ready to make it happen.

Austin just moved here from NC and wanted to spend some time on the water to get a sense of what the Buffalo Niagara fishery has to offer.  I was happy to give him that introduction.  We executed the full 360 program as per usual.  Fish were caught and good times had.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 06/01/2026 – 06/07/2026

The forecast for this week looks excellent – I’m ready to hit 54 so long as my clients are.  I’ll spend at least a day on Lake Ontario and the Upper, but the plan is to spend the bulk of the days on Lake Erie in pursuit of gold.  Despite my failure to get into a consistent bite that one day last week, I’m confident you’ll be seeing pictures of ‘eyes in my next report.  Stay tuned!       

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

P.S.  I only have a couple days open in June.  July is filling up but concerningly lean considering it’s only a little more than a month away.  I’m not too worried (yet), we’ve only had small doses of pleasant weather so I’m not sure how many people are thinking about summer.  In other words, I have plenty of openings for summer walleye trips.  Call soon and pick your date before there aren’t many left. 

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 05/18 – 05/24/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  What a stretch. Another 7 straight days with time spent on Lake Erie, the Upper Niagara, and Lake Ontario.  The week delivered just about every mood swing spring can offer — grinding smallmouth bites mixed with personal‑best giants, brutal east winds that turned both lakes into washing machines, and a couple of wild salmon sessions that reminded me why we keep pushing through the chaos. Some days were pure work, others were pure joy, but every one of them had its moments — big fish, big laughs, tough conditions, and the kind of company that makes even the grind worthwhile. As May winds down, the transition is underway, and the season keeps moving forward. More good times are ahead. 

Days on the water: 7

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Ontario, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie

What we caught:  smallmouth bass, king salmon, atlantic salmon

Tactics:  trolling spoons, casting finesse baits, drifting live bait

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

05/18/2026 – Frushour Bros (Day 2)

Fished Lake Erie for smallmouth bass with Paul and Doug.  The bite was kind of a grind.  However, Paul managed to land a fish slightly above 7lbs – a true monster and his personal best.  More than a handful of biggies had me grabbing the net throughout the day, but it was tough getting them to go.  Also, I saw a handful of beds on side scan and there were fish bedding up in the harbor when we returned at the end of the day.  Super disappointing to see that – but it’s inevitable and the circle of life.     

05/19/2026 – Frushour Bros (Day 3)

Fished the Upper Niagara with Doug and Paul.  There was a huge SW wind ripping, which limited our options.  We put in work where we could and got into them – mostly small males with only a couple of good-sized females all day. With the surface chopped up it was hard to see if they were on beds but I’m pretty sure they were considering where we found them.  Again, heart breaking that it’s happening already.  The month flew by – I feel like I didn’t spend as much time on the upper as I wanted.  Time to start making the transition though.     

05/20/2026 – Another Wild Session with Al and Bob

Fished Lake Ontario out of Wilson, NY with Al and Bob.  If you read my reports regularly, you recognize these guys.  They started fishing with me last fall and have done a bunch of trips with me since.  Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on your perspective), Mother Nature always seems to make it hard for us on all our outings, and these guys refuse to be deterred.  This day was no different.

Looking at the forecast, I decided to start later in the morning as it looked like the wind/waves were supposed to lay down around 8:00AM.  When I pulled up to the launch, they had NOT.  She was big and hauling ass out there.  My first emotion was disappointment – quickly followed up with the thought, “Whatever, the Warrior can handle it and so can these guys.”

We were doubled up almost immediately after getting all my rods in the water and chaos ensued for another couple hours.  We had so much action, I decided to only fish downriggers to avoid too much drama in the waves.  There was a long lull late morning, followed by consistent action at the end of the day.  As always, good times with these guys – and another adventure.

05/21/2026 – The Dragon and my Old Chum

Fished Lake Erie with the Dragon and my Old Chum — they chose those nicknames, still a work in progress. I’ve been fishing with this duo for six years now, and it’s always a treat. They’ve carved out a special place in my heart. There’s never any pressure with them — just good times, great conversation, and enjoying each other’s company. Oh, and we usually land a few biggie smalls along the way.

They always catch fish, but we’ve had everything from wild days to grindy ones. This one leaned grindy. The spawn is happening throughout the system, which never makes things easy. Plus, there was a big NE blowing — far bigger than forecasted — so Lake Erie was a washing machine. The wind was cold, the bite was lackluster, and staying upbeat took some effort.

We covered ground as best we could and picked off a few here and there. Not our best day, but still a good one — because time with these two is always time well spent. I hugged them goodbye and immediately started looking forward to the next trip.

05/22/2026 – Then it all Changed

Fished Lake Ontario out of Wilson, NY with the Whisperer, Captain America, and Bruce.  The Whisperer has enjoyed a few doses of the insanity on Lake O this season with friend and colleague Matt Yablonski (Wet Net Charters).  When we talked the night before, he said something along the lines of, “We’ll be boxed out in a couple hours and I’ll be home for my afternoon nap.” Weirdly, I didn’t share his confidence.

If you’ve been reading my reports, you’re aware the salmon bite has been crazy for the last month.  However, something felt off to me going into this day.  I shrugged that feeling off – assuming fishing for 37 straight days was getting to my head.

The forecast called for “nautical conditions” — a big and cold east wind building from 1–3’ to 2–4’ waves later in the day. The plan was simple: get into fish early and often so we didn’t have to ride out the worst of it. Well… that didn’t happen.

The moment we cleared the safe harbor at Wilson, my confidence took a hit. As far as you could see: deep blue water. If you fish Lake O this time of year, you know that’s the super-cold stuff — usually empty of bait and only sparsely populated by predators. The ideal setup is the edge of that water and the green plume coming out of the river. But there was no plume. None.

The bite was tough — at least compared to what we’ve been spoiled with lately. Still, it was an adventure. Those kings fought insanely hard in that cold water and huge waves.  We ended the day after about 4 hours with a very healthy box of fish but missed “boxing out” for my first time this year.  If we had decided to grind all day, we would’ve finished the job — but in those waves, sanity won.

05/23/2026 – Going for it

Fished the Upper Niagara as part of a 2-boat trip that my buddy Mike Trifilietti (Riverborn Fishing Company) brought me into.  That big east wind continued to howl, temps were in the 40s, and rain fell for most of the morning – brutal conditions.

Emma and Dalton were dressed for the conditions, but no gear/body can stand up to weather like that for long.  When the wind blows and the rain comes down hard, you’re going to get wet.  If you have good gear, you won’t get wet to the bone, but you’ll get wet enough to drop your core temperature and reduce your dexterity…and morale.  They lasted for 4.5 hours and understandably called it quits.  “It’s supposed to be vacation folks, not a torture session.”

05/24/2026 – Busting Chops and Catching a Lot (Round 4)

Fished the Upper Niagara with Jim, George, and Mark.  I’ve been fishing with these guys for 4 years now and every session is a riot – lots of busting balls and having a good time.  This time was no different. However, the wind/rain/mist during the front half of the day dampened morale a bit.  Admittedly, even I was a bit cold and struggling to stay motivated – the forecast was way off and I underdressed.  Once that cleared, things got REALLY fun.

We fished the entire circumference of Grand Island – one drift per zone as per usual – and absolutely hammered fish.  The water was a bit dingy in spots due to all that rain from the day prior.  Action was lackluster in those areas, but where it was clear, rods stayed bent.  Wild day – with a lot of chunky females who hadn’t dropped eggs yet.  Good times!    

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 05/25/2026 – 05/31/2026

The forecast for this week will provide every opportunity to figure out what all this east wind did to both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.  Every day looks mild – both temperatures and wind.  Rain will make an appearance here and there, which might pose an obstacle.  However, every day will be fishable and I’m booked daily.  Can I pull off 47?  That depends on my clients.  I’m certainly ready to make it happen.

With the bass on beds, don’t expect to see too many pics of them.  I’ll check in here and there but getting a good walleye program dialed and figuring out how Lake O is setting back up is the priority.  I’m looking forward to the challenge.  Stay tuned!

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

P.S.  I only have a couple days open in June.  July is filling up but concerningly lean considering it’s only a little more than a month away.  I’m not too worried (yet), we’ve only had small doses of pleasant weather so I’m not sure how many people are thinking about summer.  In other words, I have plenty of openings for summer walleye trips.  Call soon and pick your date before there aren’t many left. 

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 05/11 – 05/17/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  Another seven days straight on the water — and another week touching all the big water around the Buffalo Niagara Region. That puts me at 33 consecutive days, a personal record, and I’m fully in the zone. Seasonal shifts are happening slowly but unmistakably: river bass are getting spawny and sliding shallow, Lake Erie fish are staging on sand and ready to go, and the king salmon bite on Lake Ontario remains ridiculous. It’s starting to feel like summer out there — it’s pushing 80 degrees as I type this — but there’s still a little spring insanity left before we make the full transition.

Days on the water: 7

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Ontario, Lower Niagara, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie

What we caught:  lake trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, king salmon, musky, freshwater drum

Tactics:  trolling spoons, casting finesse baits

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

05/11/2026 – John and Crew (Day 1)

Fished Lake Ontario and the Lower Niagara with John, Bill, and Jesse.  We spent the morning pulling plugs on the bar.  I marked a ton of fish, but the bite came in flurries.  It wasn’t a grind, but there was enough space between bites to make it frustrating at times.  We followed that up with a Lower Niagara bass session.  We caught mostly small fish, but made some connections to a couple nicer ones.     

05/12/2026 – John and Crew (Day 2)

Fished the Upper Niagara with John, Justin, and Jesse.  As per usual, I executed the 360 circuit around Grand Island, NY.  The bite was consistent.  However, fish are moving around – the spawn draws near.  Fish were shallower that in recent sessions and some bigger females are showing up.  I also noticed a terns and cormorants destroying schools of smelt there and there – a few bass threw those up during fights too. 

Water temperature is always a good gauge for when bass start spawning – conventional wisdom suggests temps in the mid-50s.  Natural cues stand out to me as well.  Under water, schools of smelt start showing up, emerald shiners begin migrating back to the lake, big female smallies arrive seemingly out of nowhere, and the fish start setting up shallow.  Above water – all trees are fully leafed and the migratory songbirds are at their peak.  Although the songs of oriels are beautiful, when I start hearing them, I get a sense of urgency – the spawn is nigh.     

05/13/2026 – John and Crew (Day 3)

Fished Lake Erie with John, Justin, and Jesse.  There was a big S blowing that turned into an even bigger SW (and eventually a due W).  I had been looking forward to getting out on Erie in these conditions since the start of the season.  Big waves usually equal big fish in big numbers.  However, that’s not how it turned out. 

The water was dingy at best – not sure how that happened – but we only had a couple feet of visibility out there.  There were plenty of fish around, but bites were few, far between, and all the fish were small.  After a few hours of frustration and lackluster action, we went back to the harbor and worked all the reliable zones.  A few big fish were caught – but the wind got to be prohibitive – “waves inside the walls inside the walls.”  Still, Justin and Jesse landed their personal best smallies – so it wasn’t a bust out there/worth the grind.          

05/14/2026 – “We Never Cancel”

Fished the Upper Niagara with the Whisperer and the Silent Assassin. A stiff NW greeted us the moment we got out there. That direction is the worst. I said something like, “Well, we fish a lot together and wind can only come from four directions — there’s a 25% chance we’ll get a NW.”

The response was something along the lines of, “We get NWs way more than 25% of the time.” I don’t know if that’s actually true, but NW days tend to be brutal. I think we feel like it happens more often because the misery sticks in the memory longer. Either way, it’s an ongoing joke among us.

Oh, and on top of that wind, a steady drizzle hung around and temps hovered in the 40s. At one point, the Whisperer’s glasses were completly “misted up.”  He was blind casting, and catching fish.  It didn’t take long for shivering to kick in.

Lately, when it gets cold and wet like this and my dexterity starts to dwindle, my left thumb is the first finger to seize up. I end up staring at it and yelling at it to move when I’m trying to tie knots.  I’m sure those of you who have fished with cold hands can relate to this – you can tie knots with your eyes closed, but your fingers won’t do what you want them to do.  It’s frustrating – and comical.  So yeah, it hurt.

Still, we had a good time like we always do — nonstop conversation and catching fish despite the adversity. It’s days like this that build character and make those summer walleye trips feel that much sweeter.

05/15/2026 – Back out with Shari

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with long time client/friend, Shari.  We’ve been fishing together for over 5 years now, yet somehow, I’ve never taken her out to Lake Ontario for salmon.  Well, she got the perfect introduction.

It’d been about 6 months since our last trip so, we spent the first 30 minutes catching up and combing some water looking for kings.  Right away, I marked many but wasn’t getting bit.  Then, BANG.  Once the action started, it didn’t stop.  Numerous doubles, and one triple (somehow we landed all 3 too), plus a couple matures in the mix.  Absolutely insane session.

We followed that up with a few pulls on the bar and a short smallie session in the river.  The bar was a dud – only one fish in 4 pulls, but the river fished well for bass.  No biggies – lots of small males – but good times.     

05/16/2026 – NOT Golfing

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Nick and Jay.  There’s usually a third guy in this crew.  However, he was forced to commit to a day of golf.  It took us a bit get a steady bite going, but when we got into them, we caught our limit quickly.  Nick hauled in a tanker too.  Good times!

We finished up the day with a couple pulls on the bar and some bass fishing up river.  The wind was howling and thunderheads loomed.  We caught a few fish – mostly small – and bailed before getting rained on.     

05/17/2026 – Frushour Bros (Day 1)

Fished Lake Ontario and the Lower Niagara out of Lewiston, NY with Paul and Doug. They fished with me for the first time last year for a few days, and it was great to have them back. Both are excellent sticks and very much “rod‑in‑hand” anglers, but I talked them into spending a little time trolling for kings on Lake O.

When we set up, a thin layer of fog hung over the lake, and it was dead calm. Not long after I got all the rods in, a yellow‑rumped warbler fell out of the sky and splashed down next to the boat. He fluttered on the surface for a few seconds, then mustered enough energy to lift off and land on my stern.  I picked him up and sat him on my bow seat — soaked, exhausted, and clearly disoriented by the fog. He sat there with his eyes closed for about 20 minutes.

Quick note: when it’s calm on Lake O and the water temps are above 50, the midge hatch is insane — they cover everything. So, when our little passenger started to perk up and open his eyes, I started feeding him midges. He took them right out of my hand. A little while later, with his wings dry, he began working his way around the boat, devouring midges on his own. It was a blast to watch. And yes — he had a front‑row seat for a salmon hammering session before flying off with a full belly.

We boxed a quick limit, spent a little time looking for a few big ones, then slid into the river. It was a grind, but a little magic still found its way into the day.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 05/18/2026 – 05/24/2026

The forecast for this week is interesting.  Except for Wednesday, the wind looks very manageable throughout the week.  Rain will make an appearance here and there.  So will a couple days with highs in the 40s.  However, for more days than not, it’ll be borderline hot out.  The bibs and jacket might be replaced by shorts tomorrow.  I’m booked daily and will keep the stretch going so long as everyone is ready and willing!     

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

P.S.  Trees are budding, more migratory birds are showing up, lawnmowers are out — spring is in full swing. Actually, we’re mid‑season as of this writing. I bring all this up because until now, it felt weird to encourage folks to think about the summer when it’s been freezing.

Summer walleye fishing is only a couple months away, and my schedule is starting to fill up. I have zero doubts that the walleye action this year will be as good as last year. They might not flood the Buffalo part of the basin again, but they’ll be loaded by the Catt and Barcelona regardless.

Call soon to reserve your spot — I have a couple openings in late June, more than a handful in July, and plenty of opportunities in August.  Get on the docket while you can – I’d love to have ya!

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 05/04 – 05/10/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  Another 7 days straight – and another week touching all the big water around the Buffalo Niagara Region.  Mother Nature was moody —howling winds, stained water, cold snaps, even the occasional dead‑calm grind—the only real pattern was constant adaptation.  Letting conditions dictate the plan and relying on the fishery’s diversity to keep the rods bending was the only play. What stood out wasn’t just the variety of species or locations, but the people: families reconnecting, anglers chasing bucket‑list fish, and groups grinding through tough conditions without losing an ounce of enthusiasm. Persistence paid off every day, and the mix of challenge, instruction, and shared moments – that’s spring fishing around here for ya!

Days on the water: 7

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Ontario, Lower Niagara, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie

What we caught:  lake trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, king salmon, northern pike

Tactics:  trolling stick baits and spoons, casting finesse baits

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

05/04/2026 – The Experience Day 1

Fished Lake Ontario and the Lower Niagara with Michael and David.  These gentlemen were in town from Michigan for 3 days for a Multispecies Experience I’ve been doing with the support of Cabelas for a few years now.  There were 4 other anglers, a cameraman, and a host.  The other captains that participated were Mike Trifilietti of Riverborn Fishing Company, and Joe Srouji of Anglers Edge Outdoors.

We faced some harsh conditions – HUGE SW winds.  Thankfully, these guys were adventurous, so we spent a few hours blasting through waves on the Lake Ontario bar.  Action was consistent – the guys had a blast.  We followed that up with a session on the river targeting smallmouth bass.  Boat control in that wind was brutal, but we made it work.

05/05/2026 – The Experience Day 2

Fished the Upper Niagara with Mike and Dave.  An even bigger SW wind bared down on us on day 2.  Thankfully, our fishery is large enough to give us some places to tuck out of the wind on the wildest days.  With a little bit of instruction, the guys caught fish on drop shots – out of some tough spots too. 

A little safety note – as I said above, the river is always an option in some big wind.  However, launching/retrieving your boat, especially in a big W or SW can be dangerous.  After a couple of wild (borderline irresponsible) retrievals many years ago, I only launch my boat in safe harbors when the wind is howling.  Big 6 on Grand Island, NY and Griffon Park in Niagara Falls, NY are the best options for this.  Also, be aware that large stretches of the river will have 3’+ standing waves in big W and SW winds. The Warrior plows through those with ease (as Mike and Dave got to experience) – but if you’re running a bass boat, be careful.   

05/06/2026 – The Experience Day 3

Fished Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara with Mike and Dave.  Finally, a day without wind.  Well, some wind would’ve been nice.  However, adversity came in the form of a big drop in temperatures and scattered showers.  The water was stained out there due to 2 days of huge wind/waves.  There was a slight north blowing, and when it kicked up a little chop, we caught fish. 

Wanting to get these guys on a consistent bite/avoid the grind that often accompanies a windless day on Lake Erie, we pushed to the Upper Niagara.  The guys employed their newly developed finesse techniques to great success. 

Note: for 3 days, these guys encountered wildly adverse conditions – and kept their head in the game the entire time.  It’s a testament of their character, as well as the quality of our fishery.    

05/07/2026 – Early Father’s Day – Garcia Style

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Kristina, Ed, and Matt.  I’ve been fishing with this family for a few years now.  Our previous outings have been for walleyes over the summer – a Father’s Day gift from the kids to Ed.  This year, Father’s Day came early as the family wanted to try something different. 

I started off fishing where I’ve been getting them for weeks but only caught a couple.  The water was heavily stained – that dirty water from Lake Erie waves finally made it down there.  I told them they might hear me talking to myself – my mantra to never give up and keep looking.  We trolled our way out to deep water and water clarity improved as we made the transit.  Then – chaos ensued.  Always a good time with the Garcias!      

05/08/2026 – Bucket List Achieved

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Larry and Jim. If you’re a regular reader, you’ve seen Larry in my reports before. Jim — his son‑in‑law — has been out with me too, but it had been years since our last trip. Larry’s daughter/Jim’s wife bought them a gift certificate to make sure they’d carve out the time to get on the water together.

Neither of these guys had ever caught a king salmon, so we made that the mission. It took a little while to get on them, but once we did, we boxed our limit quickly. Since both of them prefer rod‑in‑hand fishing, we decided to head back to the cleaning station, take care of the kings, and then transition to the Upper Niagara for a couple hours of smallmouth fishing.

05/09/2026 – Reconnecting with John and Family

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with John, Mike, and Keanu (John’s son).  I’ve been fishing with John for 9 years now – he’s more of an old friend than a client.  We stay in touch throughout the year.  He and his wife, Mercy, live in the Philippines most of the year.  However, he makes it a point to visit his family in Ohio a couple times per year and tries to stop by WNY to fish whenever he can.   

He, like me, is a busted up old veteran (lol).  We’ve been aging and making old man sounds more and more these days.  Like me, he’s living life to the fullest while he can.  Which is why he brought his son and brother on this trip – quality time bending rods on kings and smallies.

The salmon bite was good.  It came in flurries – we put a nice box together but dropped some heartbreakers throughout the day.  John let his brother and son do all the fighting – it was a blast watching the excitement every time they hooked up.

We followed up our deep-water session with a few pulls on the bar and a short smalljaw sesh.  The wind kicked up in the last hour – a sign it was time to end the day.  As always, quality time spent.     

05/10/2026 – Variety is the Spice of Life

Fished Lake Ontario and the Lower Niagara out of Lewiston, NY with Joe, Lincoln, and Joe.  Joe and his son, Lincoln, fished with me for the first time last summer – we targeted walleyes and had a blast. For this trip, he wanted to do something new.  As we pushed away from the dock in the morning, he asked me what I like to fish for most around here.  I replied that variety is the spice of life – it’s all a blast – so long as I don’t do the same thing day after day.  Joe’s choice to fish this spring was in the same spirit.   

We started off on Lake Ontario – she was rolling – a stiff wind out of the NW made it a little rough out there.  It took me a little while to find the salmon.  When I did, we connected to a few – but seasickness ended up becoming a problem. 

So, we made the move to the Lower Niagara to target bass.  They were in a good mood – the guys and the fish.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 05/11/2026 – 05/17/2026

Scattered showers, wind from a few directions, cool temperatures – typical spring conditions are in store for us this week.  Every day looks fishable and, barring any last-minute cancellations, I’ll be out there every day.  Once again, I’ll spend time on everything from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.  With water temperatures on the slow rise, I think the smallmouth bass bite will be awesome.  The salmon will likely continue to move around a lot – but we’ll get on them.  Looking forward to another awesome week!  Stay tuned. 

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

P.S.  Trees are budding, more migratory birds are showing up, lawnmowers are out — spring is in full swing. Actually, we’re mid‑season as of this writing. I bring all this up because until now, it felt weird to encourage folks to think about the summer when it’s been freezing.

Summer walleye fishing is only a couple months away, and my schedule is starting to fill up. I have zero doubts that the walleye action this year will be as good as last year. They might not flood the Buffalo part of the basin again, but they’ll be loaded by the Catt and Barcelona regardless.

Call soon to reserve your spot — I have a couple openings in late June, more than a handful in July, and plenty of opportunities in August.  Get on the docket while you can – I’d love to have ya!

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 04/20 – 04/26/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  This past week, I managed to chalk another 7 days straight and once gain, spent time on everything from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, to the Niagara in between.  It was one of those rare stretches where every day had a story worth telling. Everything from redemption on the Upper Niagara, chaotic salmon/multi‑species sessions on Lake Ontario, giant‑hunting on Lake Erie, a personal best numbers day for me, and everything from calm sunrises to cold rain and nautical chaos in between.  Awesome week!

Days on the water: 7

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Ontario, Lower Niagara, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie

What we caught:  lake trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, king salmon, northern pike

Tactics:  trolling stick baits and spoons, casting finesse baits

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

04/27/2026 – Day 2 – Andy and Maks Trip

Fished the Upper Niagara with Andy and Maks. Last June, this father‑and‑son duo made the trip up from VA to chase smallmouth bass. When they booked, I told them it wasn’t an ideal time for smallies around here, but I was confident we’d still have a good time. We caught fish — but more importantly, I got to know them and saw right away that they were excellent anglers.

When we got off the water that day, I encouraged them to come back in late April this year and told them the action would be a completely different story. They took the advice, returned, and as promised, the action was awesome. Perfect weather, steady bite, and I got to watch them put in work and rack up numbers with some quality fish mixed in.

Redemption.

4/28/2026 – Day 2 – Andy and Maks Trip

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Andy and Maks.  After a day of excellent smallie action, the guys wanted give king salmon a shot.  These guys are rod-in-hand anglers – meaning they aren’t huge fans of trolling.  However, both are meat eaters, so the opportunity to harvest some fresh salmon grabbed their interest – regardless of the method of capture.   

The weather was NOT what we had the day prior.  A big SW had us rocking around, so boat control was an issue at first.  I adjusted, we got their limit quickly, and decided to try to follow that up with a multi species slam.  Mission accomplished.

4/29/2026 – A Little Bit of Pleasure, a Little Bit of Pain

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Larry, Jim, and Tom.  The mission was to hunt giant smallies.  The harbor produced well, so I did what I always do and left fish to find fish.  It took us a little bit, but we found them.  Action was consistent – Jim had one on that would’ve been the giant of the year, but she came unbuttoned.  No matter, he landed a couple biggies anyway. 

That was the pleasure part – then came the pain.  It was a chilly day, highs in the mid-40s.  Those temperatures were tolerable – until the rain arrived.  It was only supposed to be a light and sporadic sprinkle.  That’s not what we got.  At one point, Jim looked at me and said, “Take me back to the dock.  I’m a popsicle.”  I obliged and took Larry and Tom back out for another hour.  They caught fish – which kept their mind off the miserable conditions – but were happy to get into the car Jim had warmed up at the end of the day.      

04/30/2026 – New Boat Personal Best

Fished the Upper Niagara with Rick and Von.  These gentlemen have been fishing with me for over 7 years now.  Every year, they hammer – incredible sticks.  Well, on this date, they set my boat personal best for numbers.  We’ll keep that number to ourselves, but we pulled up to the dock awestruck and exhausted.  Numbers were insane, size was solid too.  Von managed to boat a 6lber – true tank for the upper this time of year.

05/01/2026 – What More Can You Ask For?

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Rick and Von.  Still blown away from the day prior, the guys were content to float around and target biggies.  We did just that.  There was a lot of boat pressure out there, but it didn’t matter.  When the rain and cold breeze kicked up, things began to get painful – but we still caught fish.  Barely able to bend my fingers on my left hand, I asked the guys if they were ready to call it.  Both remarked they thought I’d never ask.  When we pulled up to the dock at the end of the day, Rick said something like, “I’m all fished out. My arms and shoulders are sore.”  What a couple of days!   

05/02/2026 – Your Legs Work, Greg!

Fished Lake Ontario out or Lewiston, NY with Greg and Tanner.  These guys have been fishing with me for a long time.  Father and son duos can be tough a lot of times – getting a conversation going can be like pulling teeth.  That’s never been the case with these two.  Every trip is full of trash talking and telling stories.  This one was no different.

The first time I took Greg and Tanner fishing for kings, there was a big NW and we hammered.  It was “nautical” out there to say the least, and Greg’s mind was blown, well, frantic might be a better description.  He had a hard time maintaining composure while reeling in kings in the 2-4’ waves.  Well, on this day, it was no different. 

The forecast was way off – Lake O was cranking out there.  I looked at Greg after hitting the first wave and told him he better keep his shit together.  He tried his best – I’ll leave it at that.  As always, we had a blast.     

5/03/2026 – NOT Yesterday

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Greg and Tanner.  We started bright and early – Lake Ontario greeted us with calm conditions and a gorgeous sunrise.  Greg was relieved that we wouldn’t be riding the roller coaster again – he was beaming with confidence when we deployed our rigs. It didn’t take long before we got bit. 

Action was consistent throughout the day.  We had one long lull, but once we started crossing them again, it was on fire.  I’ll let the pictures tell it.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 05/04/2026 – 05/10/2026

Monday and Tuesday look a little hardcore (big SW wind) – river and bar weather for sure.  Beyond that, take your pick of options.  I’m booked daily and expect to execute all those trips.  It’ll be another week of bouncing around between Lake Erie, the Upper, the Lower, and Lake Ontario.  Looking forward to it!

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

P.S.  Trees are budding, more migratory birds are showing up, lawnmowers are out — spring is in full swing. Actually, we’re mid‑season as of this writing. I bring all this up because until now, it felt weird to encourage folks to think about the summer when it’s been freezing.

Summer walleye fishing is only a couple months away, and my schedule is starting to fill up. I have zero doubts that the walleye action this year will be as good as last year. They might not flood the Buffalo part of the basin again, but they’ll be loaded by the Catt and Barcelona regardless.

Call soon to reserve your spot — I have a couple openings in late June, more than a handful in July, and plenty of opportunities in August.  Get on the docket while you can – I’d love to have ya!

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 04/20 – 04/26/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  I chalked all 7 days this past week and managed to fish the entire system – from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie and both sections of the Niagara.  I encountered a fair amount of friction throughout — north winds that trashed the river, big seas on Lake O, mechanical failures, cold rain, and a tournament that humbled me. Still, every crew showed up ready to put in work, and we found windows to make good things happen: kings for longtime clients who’d been chasing that moment for years, smallmouth sessions that put me right in my happy place, and a Lake Erie action so good it made enduring a little misery worth it.  Despite some of the drama – it’s safe to say spring insanity is in full swing, folks.   

Days on the water: 7

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Ontario, Lower Niagara, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie

What we caught:  lake trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, king salmon

Tactics:  trolling stick baits and spoons, casting finesse baits

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

04/20/2026 – 3 Generation Outing (Day 1)

Fished the Lower Niagara, Upper Niagara, and Lake Ontario with Tim, Andy, and Noah.  Short version of the story – we bounced around a lot at first.  Those big north winds that kicked up the night before kept blowing through the morning, and I’m pretty sure they pushed the mud that usually hugs the east bank across the entire system. Even the west branch — which almost always stays clear when the east goes dirty — was trashed. 

The forecast showed that those N winds were supposed to calm down later in the day.  So, we took a few hour break, had some lunch, and linked back up around 2:30PM.  We launched from Lewiston, NY and drove out to Lake O.  It was gorgeous out there – and we did well. 

It ended up being an emotionally and physically taxing day, but quitting wasn’t an option for me – and I knew it wouldn’t be for Tim and Noah.  I’ve been fishing with them for years – they’re always ready to put in work.

4/21/2026 – 3 Generation Outing (Day 2)

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Tim, Noah, and Andy.  With the water clarity in the river still being trashed, fishing Lake Ontario again was the only option.  I got set up and started pulling when the impeller on my kicker failed. Devastating. That forced me to troll on the main, and since idle on that engine is around 3 mph, I had to use the trolling motor to slow us down — not optimal at all. Boat control was a constant fight.

We still caught a few, but I had to call it around 11:30 AM and run the boat to the emergency room (Collins Marine). I can’t afford to be handicapped like that during the season.

It was a trying couple of days for these guys, and I’m not happy about it. But at the very least, I confirmed what I hope they already knew — I’ll always put forth max effort, even past the breaking point. They’re already booked for the fall – as always, I’m looking forwardf to having them back.

Big shout‑out to Collins Marine for getting me operational within a few hours. Their service team has saved me more than once.

4/22/2026 – My Happy Place

Fished the Upper Niagara with Troy and John.  When we talked the night prior, I told Troy that I had yet to spend a day targeting smallmouth bass with clients this year.  I also told him, as I mentioned in last week’s report, that I poked around the upper last Thursday with my buddy Joe in crappy conditions and was disappointed with the result.  Finally, I let him know that I had been doing well on king salmon lately.  He took all that in stride and replied that he’d rather cover water and target smallies – my man! 

It took a little instruction up front – the fish weren’t very aggressive – bites were light.  However, once they got the hang of it, they proceeded to hammer.  Watching it all unfold put me in my happy place.  There’s nothing I love more than fishing smalljaws in the spring on the upper.  It’s magical on the toughest days.  The guys did well.     

04/23/2026 – Mission Accomplished

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Steve, Ethan, and Conner.  Steve and Ethan have been fishing with me for years – in the spring and fall.  Throughout their visits, they’ve caught 8 species of fish.  However, their timing was always off to get the one they wanted the most – king salmon.  Well, we finally made it happen. 

It was crowded and kinda grindy where we fished.  We never really got a consistent bite going – lots of strikes and long periods of inactivity.  Still, they closed the deal on some beauties – Steve landed my biggest of the year so far.

After a few hours of salmon fishing, we fished the Lower.  It was slow there, but we managed to land a few beauties.    

04/24/2026 – High Seas

Fished Lake Ontario and the Upper Niagara with Ryan and Chrissy.  I love fishing with this couple – always a blast.  Ryan really wanted a shot at kings and I was happy to oblige.  However, when I spoke with him the night prior, I informed him that it was going to be sporty out there.  The NOAA maritime forecast called for 2-4’ waves – Warrior weather for sure.  He was down to give it a shot.  Chrissy was too – maybe just a little hesitant. 

The forecast wasn’t wrong – it was big out there.  Unfortunately, action was slow.  Boat control in those big waves was problematic.  We got a few bites and landed a couple of fish – then it got really big and seasickness became a problem.  So, we took the boat out of the water and pushed to the Upper Niagara.  It was cold and breezy up there too – but far more tolerable and the action was good.

4/25/2026 – Bonding Through Pain

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with first time clients Jon, Brandon, and Zach. At the start of the week, the forecast was full of questionable days — cold temps, big winds, the usual spring chaos. But this day looked the worst, and it kept degrading right up to the night before. When I talked with Jon, I gave him an out: “It’s gonna be cold and very wet — NOT optimal. I completely understand if you want to reschedule.” He said his sons‑in‑law were down to fish regardless, so they wanted to give it a shot. Nobody has to twist my arm to endure pain while catching smallies.

Well, it was very wet and very cold. But it’s always that way underwater, so the fish didn’t care. The action was ridiculous and the guys did great. Photos were limited — I couldn’t keep my phone lens dry, so most of the shots came out blurry. After about two hours, nobody could use their hands anymore and everyone was soaked to the bone. Jon looked at me and said it was time to head in.

I’m glad these guys wanted to give it a shot — and they didn’t regret it. Hard not to feel good when you hammer like that. I’m always down to go as long as it’s safe. Wind, rain, and cold don’t bother me much — I’m out in harsh conditions all the time and have the gear to stay warm‑ish and dry. But not everyone is prepared for that, which is why I’m brutally transparent during pre‑trip conversations. Still, I get that coordinating schedules between three people isn’t easy, so sometimes it’s worth enduring a little hardship and bonding through it instead of staying inside.

We laughed and shook hands at the dock, reflecting on the insanity and making plans for our next trip – when its warmer and NOT raining.

PS: You’ll notice Zach is in a hoodie and shorts.  He’s a madman with a very high tolerance for pain – I was envious.  He wasn’t the first to want to tap out.  He was happy the rest of the group wanted to lol. 

4/26/2026 – The Tourney

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Rick, John, and Dave.  It was a 3-boat tournament this group of friends does for fun – a tradition we started last year.  On this iteration, my buddies Mike Trifiletti of Riverborn Fishing Company and Jimmy Rores of Big Greek Charters were the other 2 boats.  Last year, my boat crushed the competition.  This year, we got crushed.  I take full responsibility for the loss. 

For the first 2 hours, we were in the lead.  However, me being me, I wasn’t satisfied with just winning.  I haven’t fished Erie for smallies yet this year.  So, I wanted to learn something new/explore some spots in the lake that have been perennial spring producers for me.  Error – never leave fish to find fish in a tournament. 

Anyway, we took a short run to one of those spots.  It produced, but due to the lack of wind, it was grindy.  That set us back about 45 minutes – and put us more than a handful of fish behind the other 2 boats.  We couldn’t catch up. 

I’ll say this much though – with about an hour left in the day, I noticed the wind kicked up.  So, I made the call to return to that spot and we hammered.  It was an awesome rally but too late to take the win.  Tournament fishing is all about time management – and I failed on this one.  Still, the 3 boats combined landed 162 fish.  Pretty ridiculous to complain about that.     

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 04/27/2026 – 05/03/2026

This week looks like true spring – mild to warm temperatures, not a lot of wind, and a touch of rain to keep things interesting.  I’m booked daily and expect to execute all those trips.  My time will be split between Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and the Upper Niagara.  More kings and smallies my friends.  It’s peak season folks – I’ve been training for this all winter.  Going strong and feeling good.  Stay tuned!

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

P.S.  Trees are budding, more migratory birds are showing up, lawnmowers are out — spring is in full swing. Actually, we’re mid‑season as of this writing. I bring all this up because until now, it felt weird to encourage folks to think about the summer when it’s been freezing.

Summer walleye fishing is only a couple months away, and my schedule is starting to fill up. I have zero doubts that the walleye action this year will be as good as last year. They might not flood the Buffalo part of the basin again, but they’ll be loaded by the Catt and Barcelona regardless.

Call soon to reserve your spot — I have a couple openings in late June, more than a handful in July, and plenty of opportunities in August.  Get on the docket while you can – I’d love to have ya!

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 04/13 – 04/19/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  This week was all about volatility — weather, water, and action — and the only constant was adapting on the fly. Every day swung between calm and chaos: lightning shows on the horizon, winds that couldn’t make up their mind, clarity shifting overnight, and bites that went from dead‑quiet to full‑tilt mayhem. But that instability also marked the real start of king season. The first few trickled in, then the floodgates opened, and by the weekend the lake felt alive again. Spring is still sorting itself out, but the fish are on the feed, and the window is widening fast.  Insanity is starting, folks – and it’s only going to get crazier.

Days on the water: 5

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Ontario

What we caught:  lake trout, brown trout, king salmon, atlantic salmon, steelhead

Tactics:  trolling stick baits and spoons

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

04/13/2026 – Weather Day

Huge SW wind and steady rain all morning forced me to reschedule. 

4/14/2026 – Riverborn Fishing Company Assist

Fished Lake Ontario out of Olcott, NY with Jim and Nick, up from Pittsburg, PA.  My buddy, Mike Trifiletti of Riverborn Fishing Company, brought me in on this one.  We started at 6:30 AM to calm winds and a wild light show of lightening/thunderstorms on the other side of Lake Ontario.  It was an edgy experience – wondering if we were going to get hit with the chaos but being captivated by the scene.  Thankfully, the insanity just missed us.

The action was surprisingly lackluster – picky all morning.  However, we managed a few really nice ones and a handful of shorties. By 11:00AM, the wind kicked up and got progressively wild.  Boat control started to get problematic such that when we wrapped up the day we were in 2-4’ waves.   

4/15/2026 – Roller Coaster – Weather and Action

Fished Lake Ontario out of Wilson, NY with Steve and Alex. When I talked to Steve the night before, I remembered it’d been a few years since he landed my first king of the season — and said it could happen again. Turns out that was foreshadowing.

The weather was strange from the start. Big east rollers when we arrived, then the wind swung west within an hour and made it messy. Not long after, it shifted northwest. Boat control was an issue at times, but we made it work.

The brown trout bite was spotty early — only a few in the first hour — so we went deep looking for lakers and possibly a king. We got into a couple lakers quickly, then went a long time without a bite. Getting frustrated, I pulled all the lines and made a long run west. Shortly after dropping one of my riggers, it got bit — KING. Not a giant, but the first one of the year and a good sign of what’s ahead.

After that, we hit another long lull. On a hunch, I moved back in shallow for browns, and thankfully that bite was on fire. At one point all six lines either had a fish on or got bit. Total chaos. An awesome way to close out the day.

04/16/2026 – I Had to Call it

I had a mother and two 13-year-old boys on the docket.  The forecast looked dicey with big winds coming out of the SSW.  The boys really wanted to get into big trout and salmon, but mom would not be a fan of fishing though big waves.  Decided to reschedule the trip.      

04/17/2026 – And so it Begins

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Owen and Jim.  Finally, my first day of insane king salmon action of the season.  We got bit before I had all my rods in the water and rarely ended up running more than 2 rods.  We had some lulls, but overall, it was a wild session.

4/18/2026 – An Awesome Reunion

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Taylor, Paige, and Bill. I hadn’t fished with this father/daughters trio since 2019, so it was great to see them again. The lake changed overnight with the onset of some SW winds. The warmer, stained water where those kings love to hang moved from where it was the day prior, so it took us a little bit to get into a consistent bite.

Although it was a little grindy compared to the day before, everyone caught a few (and fought a few more), and the adrenaline stayed high most of the morning. Toward the end of the day, that SW wind really started to rip, kicking up some big waves — right around when we were planning to call it anyway.

Despite the occasional lull, it was an awesome experience watching these folks do battle with some giants. It was also a blast catching up after not seeing them for seven years or so.

4/19/2026 – Insanity

Fished Lake Ontario out of Lewiston, NY with Jeff, Patrick, and Dylan.  When I got off the water the day prior and called Jeff, the temperature gauge in my truck read 82 degrees.  It wasn’t that hot out, but I was sweating my ass off.  I explained to him that although it’ll be half that (the high ended up being 42), if they were willing to endure some discomfort, it’d be worth their while.  Jeff said he was all about it.  LET’S GO!  They made the right choice.  Insane session.

After 3 hours of consistent salmon action, their arms were worn out and they wanted to try something different.  So, we made the move into the river.  Unfortunately, that was a dud.  It didn’t matter though – that morning full of chaos was tough to beat.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 04/20/2026 – 04/26/2026

This week looks like a slight reversion to winter. Honestly, I’m happy about that. There were a couple of days this past week where surface temperatures were in the upper 40s — it’s way too early for that. Cooler temperatures will slow down the heating trend and keep the fish in active feeding mode — in shallow water too. I want pre‑spawn smallmouth and shallow‑water king action to last deep into May. This upcoming week will help a lot.

Other than Monday, when near‑freezing temps and a stiff NW wind might make things problematic, the rest of the week looks very stable. I’m booked daily. Stand by for more pics of kings and the first of many rounds of pre‑spawn smallies.

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

P.S.  If you live around here, you likely put on shorts or a short‑sleeve shirt this past week. Trees are budding, more migratory birds are showing up, a couple of lawns got mowed — spring is in full swing. Actually, we’re mid‑season as of this writing. I bring all this up because until now, it felt weird to encourage folks to think about the summer when it’s been freezing.

Summer walleye fishing is only a couple months away, and my schedule is starting to fill up. I have zero doubts that the walleye action this year will be as good as last year. They might not flood the Buffalo part of the basin again, but they’ll be loaded by the Catt and Barcelona regardless.

Call soon to reserve your spot — I have a couple openings in late June, more than a handful in July, and plenty of opportunities in August.

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 04/06 – 04/12/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  I was pleasantly surprised to pull off four trips this past week. The weather was gorgeous for the most part, but the fishing demanded a ton of bouncing around to keep everyone on good action. Big water was the theme — and will stay the theme for a bit. The Lake Erie ice boom is still intact, the Niagara is still cold, and we’re running about a week behind a “normal” spring. With that boom holding, that delay will stick around a little longer. No matter — the big water is producing when the conditions line up, and getting that dialed has been my focus lately.

Days on the water: 4

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie

What we caught:  lake trout, brown trout, walleye, atlantic salmon

Tactics:  drifting live bait, trolling stick baits and spoons

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

4/06/2026 – Unexpected Ice Flows

Fished the Lower Niagara with Brian, his father, Tony, and his son, Russel.  We started early and went upstream to Devils Hole – with the intent of starting high and going low – putting in work all the way down to Lake Ontario.  Well, when we got into Devils hole, we met a steady flow of bowling ball chunks of ice.  Remember my report from last week where I found that new trail on the Lower and hiked it – took pictures too – and it looked beautiful?  A lot changed overnight. 

It’s kind of weird though – there was a trickle of ice on the upper the day prior, but nothing I found alarming.  Bottom line though – what was coming downstream made fishing in Devils impossible.  We took off downstream quickly to beat the flow and fished every drift once with no bites.  The only drift that was productive was the furthest downstream.  When we set up, we were the only ones there and in turn, did very well in a short period.  It’s amazing what can happen when the fish are left alone and there’s little to no pressure. 

About 4 hours into the day, the ice showed up where we were fishing, forcing us to look for another open space.  By this point, the wind shifted to the north, blowing upstream and spreading the ice throughout the river.  We poked around in a couple spots trying to get a good drift, to no avail. 

We dealt with adversity, had a good time, “bonded as men” (3 generations of Brian’s family), and managed to land some good ones.   

4/07/2026 – Day Off

Big NW wind, ice flows, and the expectation that the ice boom would be pulled (it wasn’t BTW) caused me to reschedule my trip. 

4/08/2026 – Whispering and Assassinating

The Whisperer and the Silent Assassin are always down for an exploratory mission — for good reason. They aren’t always successful (mostly they are), but we always learn something. I pitched a mission to Barcelona to see if we could get into some lake trout and maybe a steelhead. It didn’t take any convincing.

Why drive all the way to Barcelona for lakers? Last fall was the first time I tried it — thanks to my buddy Han Mann — and I was impressed with the size. On average, Lake Erie lake trout are far bigger than the ones in Lake Ontario, so I wanted to see if we could find some giants.

Wilson and Olcott are about 30 minutes closer to home, but I was concerned about mud. Fishing lakers in deep water when it’s stained is a fool’s errand, and I figured last week’s flood water had to be pooling up in front of those Lake O harbors.

When we pulled into Barcelona, there was one car in the lot — an old guy in a pickup, smoking a cigar, staring at the lake. Perfect. We headed out and started where I found them last fall, but all we could find there was bait. Then the Whisperer, in all his aged wisdom, suggested we try another area known as a fall spawning spot for lake trout.

We found them there and stayed on a consistent bite until unexpected NE winds started knocking us around.

You might wonder why there are no pictures of the Whisperer here.  If it ain’t walleyes, he doesn’t reel them in.  He was more than comfortable sitting on his perch calling out rods as they went off and making the Assassin reel them in. 

04/09/2026 – Cancellation – Would’ve Been Good Too

The clients I had booked on this day ended up canceling the week prior and I didn’t have anyone to back fill the date.  It ended up being a gorgeous day.  Stayed off the water but a few of my colleagues who fished Lake O did well. 

04/10/2026 – Recon with Riverborn

Fished Lake Ontario out of my buddy Mike Trifiletti’s boat (Riverborn Fishing Company).  He’s breaking in his new Warrior 208 and like me, wanted to get some reps in on Lake O.  We started deep and got into a fairly consistent bite for lake trout.  We spent a lot of time combing different depths to determine what held the most fish.  Every year it seems to change.  This year, it was a little shallower than expected. 

Feeling confident that we could make something happen out deep, we went in shallow to target brown trout.  That action was ridiculous.  Nothing huge but we lost count on how many fish we landed.  He and I have done many scouting missions during transition periods that turned up nothing – the only lesson learned was where the fish aren’t.  This trip was fun – we learned where they are. 

I took the long way home so I could drive along the upper Niagara.  I had been checking out the Lake Erie ice boom camera all day and noticed that, although the boom was still intact, the harbor was hemorrhaging ice downstream.  My drive along the river revealed the impact – bank to bank ice throughout east river.

4/11/2026 – Never Give Up

Fished Lake Erie out of Barcelona, NY with Ryan, Chan, and Brad.  Ryan lives in Westfield, which is right down the road from Barcelona, so I figured I’d save them the 2-hour drive to Lake O. 

I set up in the same area where we caught fish earlier in the week and landed one right away.  However, after that, it was a grind.  We’d land a fish, drop a fish, and go long stretches without a bite.  When this happens, I get in my head BIG TIME.  The notion of quitting and cutting my losses often creeps up – but I work my ass off to bury those thoughts.  In this situation, it paid off.

On a hunch, I returned to where we caught a couple fish earlier in the day and fished MUCH shallower – and chaos ensued.  We went from heads down and grinding to having a riot.  I’m sure we all slept well that night – I know I did.  Good times!   

4/12/2026 – Back out with Matt and Nat

Fished Lake Ontario out of Olcott, NY with long time friends/clients Matt and Natalie.  We usually fish bass in the spring around this time but the lingering ice boom/continued presence of ice on the Upper Niagara sent us to Lake Ontario.  It’d been a few years since we fished out there together, so they were stoked to give it a go. 

Unfortunately, when we left 18-mile creek and got into the lake, all the stained water I fished there a couple days prior was gone.  The whole shoreline for miles was gin clear – very suboptimal for shoreline brown trout fishing.  We picked up a handful of small ones/good eaters and a nice Atlantic salmon within the first hour, then things got really grindy.  So, we decided to go deep for lakers.  Again, we picked up a couple nice ones right away but followed that up with more of a grind. 

Wanting to end strong, we slid back to the browns in front of 18‑Mile — right as the east wind kicked up. We had 4–5 more bites in shallow, but everything came unbuttoned.

Tough session, but the conversation never stopped, and as always, time on the water with those two was solid.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 04/13/2026 – 04/21/2026

Next week looks like another dicey one.  Rain and huge wind will plague the region for the front part of the week.  Unfortunately, that’ll likely delay the removal of the ice boom yet another week.  If we’re lucky, some of that huge wind will bust open the boom and send ice raging down steam.  I doubt it though – it’s held tight through worse this year.

I’m optimistic all the wind in the beginning part of the week will rebuild some stain on the Lake Ontario shoreline and get that brown trout bite fired up.  That’ll be the main program as you can always hug the shoreline when the wind gets big on Lake O.  The Lower Niagara might be a backup – but it’s not something I can count on with all that wind and ice around.  In other words, once again, there will be a lot of last minute calls.      

The end of the week looks OK – less rain and more mild winds.  I’m hopeful I’ll get in a few trips over the weekend. 

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan