Niagara Falls USA Fishing Forecast 5/13/20

Niagara Falls USA Fishing Forecast for May 13, 2020 from Destination Niagara USA

On May 6, Morgan Fonzi of Gasport reeled in a big white bass from the lower Niagara River that weighed 3 pounds, 8 ounces while fishing with his dad, Capt. Joe Fonzi of Gasport. Little did they realize they were holding onto a new record catch. The previous record was a 3-pound, 6-ounce fish caught by Robert Hilton from Furnace Brook in Westchester County, a tributary of the Hudson River, back in 1992.

The father-son duo was just out fishing in the lower Niagara River last week (May 5), not targeting any specific species and catching a mix of trout and smallmouth bass. They started catching white bass and they decided to stick with them, ending up with around 25 nice-sized fish. Included in their catch was a 3-pound, 10-ounce white bass, what locals refer to as a silver bass. They look like a small striped bass, swimming up the Niagara River every May to spawn. The first record ended up on the cleaning table.

The next day they went after white bass specifically and found the bigger ones were holding deeper. The most effective bait was a 5/8-ounce Steelshad blade bait in a gold color and that was the bait Morgan was using to reel in the record catch. The rest is history. Congrats Morgan!

Good numbers of steelhead are still in the river and bass are not as active as they should be with the cooler temperatures, but still active none the less. From shore, the Mike and Mike show (Mike Rzucidlo and Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls) was still going on despite some turbid conditions last weekend. Casting spinners and jigs, they managed to catch steelhead, lake trout, smallmouth bass, and silver (white) bass from shore. Boaters off the mouth of the river near the fort can take smallmouth bass in close or salmon and lake trout a bit deeper using 3-way rigs and MagLips or Kwikfish. At least, when the winds cooperate. Light winds today saw good numbers of small boaters targeting kings around the green buoy marker. In the upper Niagara River, some bass and walleye are being reported, along with some perch.

The spring salmon bite continues to be particularly good for trolling anglers from the Niagara Bar to Olcott according to reports in Lake Ontario. Josh Dunkelberger of Olcott reports they were 3 for 6 on kings using a GRC lemon fly with a lemon ice spin doctor in front of Olcott. They also had six on UV Blue Dolphin and NBK spoons 45 to 65 feet down over 60 to 120 feet on the riggers, 112 to 125 feet back on the divers set at 3.5. Karen Evarts at the Boat Doctors says action in front of Olcott has been super from 60 feet of water to 90 feet of water with chartreuse and black magnum spoons. Quite a few kings in the 20 to 25-pound range have been caught. There are good numbers of fish with some lake trout mixed in. Check out the new 24-hour bait, lures, and everything else machine at their Olcott shop due to social distancing concerns.

Out of Wilson to the Niagara Bar, Capt. Matt Yablonsky of Youngstown reports pretty much the same program in 50 to 100 feet of water with magnum spoons, kings and lakers. Color does not seem to matter on the spoon. A few fish are being caught on flasher-flies up and down the lake, too. 

Captions:

Capt. Joe Fonzi of Gasport caught some white bass that may have broken the state record, but he didn't know what the record was. One of these fish tipped his hand-held scales at 3 pounds, 10 ounces.  

Morgan Fonzi of Gasport with a state record white bass from the lower Niagara River caught last week, weighing in at 3 pounds, 8 ounces. The one on the right weighed 3.50 pounds on the digital scale, the one on the left weighed 3.46 pounds. 

Lisa Drabczyk of Lewiston with a lower Niagara River smallmouth bass she caught last week fishing with he husband, Capt. Steve Drabczyk. 

Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls with another big brown trout he caught in the lower Niagara River. He has caught 5 browns over 10 pounds this year.

Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls with a chunky lower river lake trout.

Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls was taking advantage of the white bass run in the lower river last week.

Mike Ziehm of Niagara Falls with a lower river lake trout caught from shore.

Capt. Steve Drabczyk of Lewiston with a Niagara Bar king salmon.

Written By: Bill Hilts, Jr.
Outdoor Promotions Director
Destination Niagara USA