Yellow Perch & Crappie Bite is Hot in Early 2024 Fishing Season
Steelhead & Brown Trout are in Tributaries
As the world prepares for the total eclipse event on April 8, there is excitement and preparation far in advance for a location to view the rare totality eclipse celestial episode. While Chautauqua Lake is world-renowned for its colossal muskellunge, on April 8, it will be a prime location in the central path of the total eclipse. Ardent fishermen everywhere wonder how an event like this might affect fishing through the entire path of the eclipse, but we all know there is only one way to find out. Be there with a fishing rod!
Yellow perch: This year, the Chautauqua County shoreline of Lake Erie and the shallow bays of 17-mile-long Chautauqua Lake are providing early-season fishing fun for yellow perch and crappie ahead of the usual calendar schedule. A prolific population of yellow perch, weighing one to two pounds, is a common catch in Lake Erie at this time of year.
Crappie: The spring crappie bite is on at Chautauqua Lake. One nice thing about spring crappie fishing is that you usually find a bunch when you find one. Crappies have grown to be identified in different areas of the country by quite a few other names. Among these are calico bass, strawberry bass, speck, paper-mouth and the best one for big crappies, “slab.”
Growing up, my dad always called them calico bass, and we made the spring trip to Chautauqua Lake many times each year, hoping to find a friendly, hungry school of crappie. We had our best luck from shore in the Ashville Marina canals and from a Jon boat with oars along the shoreline of Bemus Bay between the Long Point Marina and Bemus Point and on the sunny side of the shoreline there.
The best advice is to keep the bobbers short. So, if fishing in five feet of water, set the bobber to three or four feet. Minnows work the best, but tiny jigs and weighted stonefly nymphs are also effective. One favorite trick with a jig or fly off a bobber is to cast out and reel in a bit of line, stopping the bobber and then shaking the bobber with action from the rod tip. It can be deadly. Both black and white crappie can be found in Chautauqua Lake, but most crappie caught by spring anglers are black crappie.
Crappies are popular because they are simply great fun to catch, especially for youngsters, and they make delicious table-fare. They can be pretty easy to catch on some days, but at other times, fishing for crappie can be frustrating - but that’s fishing. The NYS record for black crappie is a whopping 4 pounds-1 ounce, while the white crappie record is 4 pounds-7 ounces. With recently revised size and daily bag limits, crappie must be 10 inches to keep, with a 25-fish-per-person daily bag limit.
Steelhead: The most popular tributary fishing hotspots have been dependent on winter melt for current flow, with some streams working to maintain flow. There are steelhead and brown trout to be found in almost every Chautauqua County tributary access point.
Famous tributaries here include Cattaraugus Creek; Silver Creek and Walnut Creek, just south of Sunset Bay; Canadaway Creek, just south of Dunkirk Harbor; and Chautauqua Creek, just south of Barcelona Harbor. Chautauqua Creek in Westfield, NY, is a 5-star steelhead stream with multiple angler access and parking locations. This stream is picturesque a few miles upstream (east) from the mouth as it winds through a deeply carved gorge called Chautauqua Gorge. About 8 miles of peaceful, public fishing rights for anglers exist along the stream. Focus on the area above and below the Railroad Bridge and Interstate 90 Bridge as hotspot fishing zones. Check NYSDEC Fishing Regulations for changes to size and bag limits.
Safety First: Remember during colder weather months between November 1 and May 1, NYS requires anyone underway in a boat that is less than 21 feet must wear a securely fastened PFD. This includes canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and motorboats.
Lake Erie Fishing Hotline: https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/freshwater-fishing/erie-western-new-york-hotline.
Local Fishing Information/Bait Shops: visit https://www.tourchautauqua.com/play/fishing.
Guides: Capt. Mike Sperry, 716-969-4633, crotackle@gmail.com; Capt. Frank Schoenacker, 585-406-5764, www.infinitycharters.com; Capt. Dillan LaBarbera, 716-499-7545.
Lodging: Visit a bed and breakfast, comfy cottage, or a deluxe winter/water playground while you check out the Eclipse and the Fishing Fun.
