Spring is upon us and that means Lake Ontario and its tributaries are about to reach an incredible crescendo. Steelhead are in the process of completing their migratory runs into the tributaries to spawn and are available in the larger rivers and smaller streams for the next few weeks before returning to the big lake. At the same time, Lake Ontario has opened up and for the next couple of months will produce some of the most spectacular shallow water fishing for Brown Trout and other species the lake has to offer. Weather at this time of year is at best unpredictable, but there will be days where fishing on both the lake and the tributaries can be unbelievable.
I put these 2 pictures together above, both of which are at least 20 years old, for a very specific reason: to highlight just how long we at Dirty Oar Adventures have been at this. On the left is my Mom holding the biggest Brown Trout we brought to the boat back in the day. That fish came in late may in 1986 in about 30 feet of water directly in front of Catfish Creek (near Oswego for those unfamiliar with the geography.). We were trolling an array of spoons on downriggers and divers, and this particular fish struck a chartreuse/silver/green Evil Eye and gave us a 30 minute battle before coming to the net. The fish on the right was an early April 1998 Steelhead caught fishing egg imitations in Ellis Cove, a particularly solid hotspot in early Spring for spawning Steelhead due to its gravelly bottom structure which is conducive to spawning. Either of those days we could have been fishing the other alternative (Lake or River) and likely had success.
Lake Ontario continues to deliver excellent fishing during early Spring to this day. The Salmon River is currently packed with fish, those spawning, those preparing to spawn, and those "dropping back" to the lake after they have spawned. These Spring Steelhead are eager to strike, whether it's out of aggression protecting their spawning grounds or in an effort to fill their stomachs and regain the weight they lost during their migratory run. A spawn sack or bead egg imitation fished under a float are deadly on Steelhead throughout the Winter, but are particularly good now as there are once again fresh steelhead eggs available in the river as the fish spawn.
On the lake the Brown Trout fishing is revving up as the water begins to warm with the warmer Spring weather. Browns can be caught in as little as 5 feet of water using shallow diving stick baits, such as Rapala or Bay Rat SS minnow imitations or spoons such as the Tamiron Honeybee or Michigan Stinger. Color choices will vary on each day as light conditions and water clarity will necessitate different options to spark the interest of a hungry brown. In low light or turbid water conditions brighter colors are necessary such as orange, chartreuse and glow aided baits. In clearer water or high sun days a more natural approach is necessary with darker greens, blues, silvers and stick baits that look like forage fish being the best options. An ability to assess the conditions of the day will help you succeed in fooling these wary Spring Brown Trout.
Everybody likes to have a choice and right now Lake Ontario is providing us with a couple of tremendous options. The tributaries are loaded with Steelhead and the lake is open and is filled with hungry football-shaped Brown Trout. I don't know about you, but just thinking about these options gets me fired up for Spring! That's all for now, until next time tight lines to all!
David
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