October 2026 Reports

Now is the time for big green Kings in the Oak and nearby smaller tribs! The best biting salmon are being hooked up by float guys, hardware casters and a few fly swingers. Are the Kings dime bright silver fresh? Well not quite – that’s a rarity anyway in our low gradient WNY tribs. But they are big and in good shape and ornery enough to bite varied presentations.

Flows in the Oak are real good for trout and salmon migrations, somewhere between med and slightly high depending upon angler perspective. Its a little higher then typical fall flows and anglers are not likely able to see every fish in every run. Good water cover though almost always leads to less spooky fish and better biting fish. There’s a good number of browns reported already, and we are barely a few days into Oct. That’s encouraging for better yet action through the month and into Nov. The good King and brown trout action reported at the dam is now trickling downstream in the fast water sections. A few more dead drifters are hitting that water with eggs and egg patterns and getting hook ups. All that typical fast water action beside at the dam should only get better and better for browns and Kings. Add in some bonus steelhead and cohos and Atlantics and its mixed bag catches for the Oak coming up.

Downstream frog water guys are reporting a good bite. Some days fish are crashing around and some days they are not. Hookups sometimes have been as good or better on the days when fish are not actively crashing around. Both plug and skein guys report hookups, so try different drifts and retrieves. Fly anglers generally are handicapped the most in the frog water now while Lake levels are high. Upstream fast water drifts usually are more productive but a few swingers and streamer retrievers can still have action if they want to stick with it.

Lower river and near shore Lake action intel is light, but no doubt some fish are still moving through. A couple recent days of favorable NW winds should have put some fish around the Rivermouth or moved up some staging fish. Forecast ahead is warming after the coldest night yet of the season last night. Slight chance of rain showers over the next couple days.

Flows in the other area smaller tribs are about med and just slightly stained from Canal feed. Those waterways are generally longer watercourses and pods of fish can be anywhere. Flows are plenty high enough to encourage upstream movement and temps are becoming more favorable. To the west at Johnson there’s not been a whole lot of upstream fish movement reported. To the east at Sandy guys are just starting to report some more fish movement.