Lake-run brown trout season opens up across the Great Lakes tributaries

What's biting

What's next

The 692 cfs reading at gauge 04231600 is the one to watch. Higher flow and a 59°F reading point to water with enough push to draw trout upstream, while the two smaller gauges at 11.7 cfs and 7.45 cfs show how thin the small creeks run. Expect small creeks to fish best after a rain bump, and expect fish to stack in deeper pools when flows stay low and clear.

Field & Stream notes that on low, clear autumn water, long leaders down to 6X or 7X tippet paired with small parachutes or Compara-duns are the move, and that blue-winged olives dominate fall mayfly hatches. If the weather turns, the same source suggests switching to nymphs or big orange caddis patterns. Plan on early morning and late afternoon when light is low, and use a stealthy approach in skinny water.

The waxing crescent moon sets early in the evening, so dark hours later in the night will be dim. Check state regulations before keeping any fish, since trout seasons and creel limits vary by water.

Context

Water in the upper 50s to low 60s is typical for mid-October across western New York and fits an on-schedule fall run. Cooling water this time of year pulls Brown Trout toward tributary mouths and then upstream, and cooler nights over the coming weeks should keep that movement building toward early November.