Captain John V DeLorenzo
Niagara River Guide Service
2493 Michigan Ave
Niagara Falls,
New York 14305
email: LJNRGS@Aol.com
Niagara River Smallmouth
Smallmouth Bass fishing on the lower Niagara River is some of the best Bass fishing to be had anywhere in the Northeastern United states. The Bass season in New York starts on the Third saturday in June every year and closes on Nov 30. Although everyone likes to go fishing when the season opens. the first 2-4 weeks of the season on the Niagara is not prime time by any means. After the Seaon opens in Late June the fish are just coming off the spawn and are spread out and weak from the rigors of spawning. Also about this time every year we get a large amount of float moss coming down the river. Some years this moss gets so bad that you can bearly get your lines down. By the middle of July the Bass have regained their strength and are starting to school up to ambush schools of baitfish. From mid July through October are prime times for Smallies here.
Where to fish......There are three basic areas to fishon a trip to the lower river. The first is the river itself.Weed beds form all along the shoreline of the river out to 10-15 feet of water. Drifting of casting jigs along this weedline will be productive all seaon but you won't catch alot of big fish especially as the river warms up in early August. I'm not saying there are some big smallies still in the river but a majority of the fish caught will be in the 10-14 inch class. The only exception to this will be the drifts at Fort Niagara and Fort George on the Canadian side. After a north wind(northeast in particular),which tends to blow the colder offshore water into shore, The larger Smallies that hang on the Niagara bar out in the lake will move into the river to stay in the warmer river water. After a couple of days of calm hot weather these fish will move right back out into the lake however. That brings us to our second geat bass location, The Niagara Bar out by the green can.This location is a great area during the heat of the summer and really puts out some big bass in early fall. last fall I took a 6.25 and 6.5 lb smallie in the same week.
