Fishing and Outdoors in WNY: Despite the weather, Niagara shined

Story and Photos by Capt. Frank Campbell

Director, Outdoor Promotions

Destination Niagara USA

The spotlight was shining on our local fishery, even if the sun was not during a flood of media visits in the past month.

Fishing is always better in the rain – well, at least that is what is often said – however, I myself would prefer to spend my time on the water with sunshine and light winds. Neither of which was a common occurrence for the most part, as Lewiston played host to media members 23 out of the 31 days in May.

The fishing was average to above-average most days, which would be a super experience anywhere else in the country. Representatives were many, including from In-Fisherman, Bassmaster, On The Water, “Midwest Outdoors,” “Bigwater Adventures with Mark Davis,” “Let’s Take It Outside,” Fishing on SI (Sports Illustrated), and Wired2Fish, along with representative from the New York State Outdoors Association. All visited and sampled the angling opportunities offered in Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and the upper/lower Niagara River. A mix of fish were brought to net, including smallmouth bass, walleye, silver bass, king salmon, coho salmon, brown trout, lake trout and steelhead. Not only were there numerous species, but also size and numbers were also enjoyed by our guests.

Ken Baldwin, who creates content for the website Fishing on SI, challenged the lower Niagara River with a fly rod, and after a learning curve was successful in landing numerous bass and several steelhead. Ken actually educated himself by paying attention to what the conventional anglers were having success presenting – and soon was channeling what he observed into success with the fly.

Just to be fair, Ken was an extremely talented fly caster and presented the bait precisely to evoke a strike from the fish. He was working a large streamer in a manner to replicate an injured bait fish with long pauses, and it paid off. By the time Ken was scheduled to depart, he was already dreaming of a return trip.

The website, Fishing on SI, receives over 20 million unique monthly views.

Todd Ceisner from In-Fisherman shows off a lake trout.

Larry Lladowski from “Midwest Outdoors.”

Glen Sapir of NYSOWA with a nice smallmouth.

Roel Trum from the Spro Corp. shows off his PB smallmouth.

Misty Wells won the battle with this king salmon.

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Three television shows were filmed during the month of May, utilizing the different fisheries we have available right here on the Niagara Frontier.

“Midwest Outdoors” took advantage of both the bass and trout fishing on the lower Niagara River to complete two separate episodes that will air later this year. “Bigwater Adventures with Mark Davis” was able to target smallmouth bass on the Niagara River both above and below the falls to produce two shows that will air on the Outdoor Channel in 2026. Misty Wells returned with her popular show that airs on the Discovery Channel, “Let’s Take It Outside.” Lake Ontario salmon fishing was featured, and Niagara River trout and smallmouth also cooperated to make for some great video that will highlight our world-class fishing destination.

The New York State Outdoor Writer’s Association held its annual conference in mid-May, and the area impressed a veteran group of scribes. Many who attended had been in the area previously – and the fishing was just as good as everyone remembered. All members were able to catch the species that they choose to target.

I would be remiss to not mention not only did all the media experience great fishing, but also the world-class hospitality that the area is known for. To a person, our guests were impressed with the restaurants, accommodations, attractions and, most noteworthy, the people they interacted with. So, to the community as a whole I would like to say THANK YOU!

I hope to see you enjoying the local outdoors. Every week, I produce a fishing report: “Niagara County Fishing Hotline.” You can access it online at www.niagarafallsusa.com, or by simply calling 716-282-8992, Ext. 4, to hear what’s up in the world of fishing. It is updated every Wednesday.