FLY FISHING REPORTS: New York Fishing Reports: Oak Orchard River
|
Fly Fishing Reports - New York Fishing Reports
Oak Orchard River
Sponsored by:
Last Update: 4/20/03
|
There is good shoreline action casting for trout and salmon now and it should last through the month of May. Some nice browns and leaping steelhead have been caught at Point Breeze. Small boat anglers with simple spreads just flat lining baits have had good success. River mouths are good bets like at Point Breeze or anywhere along the shoreline where 3 to 5+ feet of warmer water is within casting distance. Brown trout are the main quarry, but salmon and steelhead may be encountered by shore anglers. Still fishing with egg snacks, casting spoons and retreiving streamers can all be productive. Nothing like the jarring strike of a hungry trout while you are on the retrieve. Warmer in-shore waters are what the trout and salmon are drawn to.
Temps are moderating now yet high flows may allow for cool water temps to hang on and keep steelhead in the tribs. Fresh fish were encountered on the back side of the most recent high water. Water temps through the beginning of this week have moved into the mid 50's. There are still some big fish in the rivercourse, mainly in the gravel areas.
Water levels are medium consisting of all turbine channel water. Lake Alice has begun to be drawn down so river flows should come down in kind provided there is no new significant precip. There was some light rain yesterday. Water levels have retreated from high levels to medium levels. Visibility is at least 3 feet. There was a temporary reduction in turbine flows last Wednesday for some maintenance and there were a good number of fish revealed all through the rivercourse. Small to mid size tribs have low to moderate flows with slightly stained water. The Oak has good numbers of steelhead spread mostly throughout the gravel areas and adjacent holes. Just a few steelhead are still being caught at the Waterport dam and the upper river.
As water levels are receeding, more steelhead are being caught in the lower river course and gravel stretches as anglers get better drifts. With the way the whole trib season since last fall has progressed later then previous years, anglers who give up on the Oak here in the last part of April will miss out on the last bit of steelhead action. Fishability improves along the whole turbine channel when turbine flows are reduced to medium levels. Waiting for low, clear flows may not be a good course of action given the fact that it is late in the season with many steelhead having already spawned and others on the gravel right now.
Melting snow and sleet caused an increase in flows through the beginning of last week. The high water allowed for moderate water temps to prevail with some new steelhead migrations. Good flows may help to preserve the fishing through at least April, perhaps May. It is apparent that when water temps went back over 40F that the Oak got another run of steelhead. Most fishing in WNY had been locked up save for the Oak Orchard, Burt Dam, the Niagara and the Genesee River this winter, but now all tribs are opened up. There should be good steelhead numbers in the Genesee River under high and dirty flows. Water temps will continue to rise with the onset of warmer temps and sunnier conditions.
Steelhead are spawning given the time of year while others have spawned already. Through the past weekend there were fish caught through the middle river course in the Oak, mostly in and around gravel areas. There is a mixed bag of a few fresh, staged and drop back fish. Angling pressure has been light.
The Genesee River can be a good bet for fish and flows through any winter time cold water periods. Flows there are up with stained water. Without any significant new precip that waterway is coming back around everyday and will offer some late season opportunities. Persistent anglers can usually expect some hookups in a few hours fishing under reasonable water levels. Look for high water there through the Spring with warm temps or more precip. A few of the steelhead caught at the Genny always turn out to be exceptional. At Burt Dam there have been new steelhead migrations on the cusp of the latest higher water flow with many of the fish on the gravel there. Action will tail off there as water temps rise through the 50's. Not much chance for drop back fish in that short water course.There is good shoreline action casting for trout and salmon now and it should last through the month
of May. Some nice browns and leaping steelhead have been caught at Point Breeze. Small boat anglers
with simple spreads just flat lining baits have had good success. River mouths are good bets like at
Point Breeze or anywhere along the shoreline where 3 to 5+ feet of warmer water is within casting
distance. Brown trout are the main quarry, but salmon and steelhead may be encountered by shore
anglers. Still fishing with egg snacks, casting spoons and retreiving streamers can all be
productive. Nothing like the jarring strike of a hungry trout while you are on the retrieve. Warmer
in-shore waters are what the trout and salmon are drawn to.
Temps are moderating now yet high
flows may allow for cool water temps to hang on and keep steelhead in the tribs. Fresh fish were
encountered on the back side of the most recent high water. Water temps through the beginning of
this week have moved into the mid 50's. There are still some big fish in the rivercourse, mainly in
the gravel areas.
Water levels are medium consisting of all turbine channel water. Lake Alice
has begun to be drawn down so river flows should come down in kind provided there is no new
significant precip. There was some light rain yesterday. Water levels have retreated from high
levels to medium levels. Visibility is at least 3 feet. There was a temporary reduction in turbine
flows last Wednesday for some maintenance and there were a good number of fish revealed all through
the rivercourse. Small to mid size tribs have low to moderate flows with slightly stained water. The
Oak has good numbers of steelhead spread mostly throughout the gravel areas and adjacent holes. Just
a few steelhead are still being caught at the Waterport dam and the upper river.
As water
levels are receeding, more steelhead are being caught in the lower river course and gravel stretches
as anglers get better drifts. With the way the whole trib season since last fall has progressed
later then previous years, anglers who give up on the Oak here in the last part of April will miss
out on the last bit of steelhead action. Fishability improves along the whole turbine channel when
turbine flows are reduced to medium levels. Waiting for low, clear flows may not be a good course of
action given the fact that it is late in the season with many steelhead having already spawned and
others on the gravel right now.
Melting snow and sleet caused an increase in flows through the
beginning of last week. The high water allowed for moderate water temps to prevail with some new
steelhead migrations. Good flows may help to preserve the fishing through at least April, perhaps
May. It is apparent that when water temps went back over 40F that the Oak got another run of
steelhead. Most fishing in WNY had been locked up save for the Oak Orchard, Burt Dam, the Niagara
and the Genesee River this winter, but now all tribs are opened up. There should be good steelhead
numbers in the Genesee River under high and dirty flows. Water temps will continue to rise with the
onset of warmer temps and sunnier conditions.
Steelhead are spawning given the time of year
while others have spawned already. Through the past weekend there were fish caught through the
middle river course in the Oak, mostly in and around gravel areas. There is a mixed bag of a few
fresh, staged and drop back fish. Angling pressure has been light.
The Genesee River can be a
good bet for fish and flows through any winter time cold water periods. Flows there are up with
stained water. Without any significant new precip that waterway is coming back around everyday and
will offer some late season opportunities. Persistent anglers can usually expect some hookups in a
few hours fishing under reasonable water levels. Look for high water there through the Spring with
warm temps or more precip. A few of the steelhead caught at the Genny always turn out to be
exceptional. At Burt Dam there have been new steelhead migrations on the cusp of the latest higher
water flow with many of the fish on the gravel there. Action will tail off there as water temps rise
through the 50's. Not much chance for drop back fish in that short water course.
Click here to send your fishing report.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
