After weeks of dry weather and low stream flows along the tributary streams of Lake Erie in Chautauqua and Erie counties, the long-awaited rains and chilling temperatures have arrived and departed – the weather change will return. With the transformation in weather comes the first big push of steelhead and brown trout into the Lake Erie tributary creeks – when water flow allows for their movement. For much of the early fall, the steelhead schools have been staging in Lake Erie, waiting for the chance to move upstream into the tributary creeks. After rainfall, as water levels rise and water temperatures drop, anglers can look forward to some of the best action of the year in what’s known as “Steelhead Alley” – the legendary stretch of Lake Erie tributaries along the shoreline from Buffalo to the New York-Pennsylvania state line. 

Jig-Flesh Flies with a bead (plastic egg) trailer are an invention of local steelhead fishing expert, Gerald Brydalski. This trailing egg imitation can be a very effective lure to catch autumn stream steelhead.

The steelhead streams include Buffalo Creek with tributaries Cazenovia Creek and Cayuga Creek, then south to 18-Mile Creek, Cattaraugus Creek, Silver Creek, Walnut Creek, Canadaway Creek and Chautauqua Creek, including any of the tiny feeders of these creeks – the fish are there too. When the creeks run high and hard, the lower sections of these streams are turbid, the fish move up to the tiny feeders and clear water. Contacting a local tackle shop or guide service can provide updates on the best fishing times in the area. The local guides, with their knowledge and experience, are your best bet for a successful fishing trip. 

As creeks swell and color up, expect strong pushes of fresh steelhead into the lower reaches of each creek. Fish near the creek mouths and lower stream access areas, such as Chautauqua Creek in Westfield, Canadaway Creek in Dunkirk and Silver Creek, for roadside parking and easy access. One of the most popular tributary fishing hotspots located just south of Dunkirk, is Canadaway Creek, where it meets Lake Erie. For a color map of Canadaway Creek from Lake Erie to Laona Falls, visit https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/canadawaycreek.pdf. The Canadaway Creekmouth is a steelhead and brown trout entry point and offers easy, well-used angler walkway paths to the stream right from roadside parking on Route 5. The steelhead that enter Canadaway can swim as far as 6 miles upstream to Laona Falls, where they cannot swim the high falls there. In Erie County, the situation is similar for Cayuga Creek up to Como Park dam, and for Buffalo Creek, up to the dam in Blossom. Ask the private owner for permission to fish in many of these places. 

Immediately after the rains, fall-run steelhead from Lake Erie savor a variety of baits, including brightly colored egg sacs, large streamers, and flashy spinners or spoons. Both fly fishermen and spin fishermen can enjoy fishing. Then, three to five days after the heavy rains, clearing flows occur, the water drops and begins to clear, and conditions become ideal with fish spreading to upper flows and settling into pools and runs. That’s when smaller natural offerings are best, including single eggs, nymphs, jigs under floats, micro-streamers, and similar baits. Water temperature is key, then turbidity. The clarity or cloudiness of the water affects how fish forage and how they find shelter and ambush areas, forcing visual orientation or scent preferences for the fish to feed. 

Some of the biggest deer of the season begin to leave their hiding spots as the annual mating ritual (rut) begins during the NYS Early Archery Season.

Note that there is no closed season for trout and salmon in Lake Erie tributaries. Still, there are special seasonal regulations that do apply to all Lake Erie tributaries from Sept. 1 to March 31. The special rules apply from the bridge closest to the mouth upstream to the first barrier impassable by fish. Fishing is allowed from 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset (fishing at night is prohibited), and for hook size, the distance between the hook shaft and point cannot exceed 1/2 inch. Hooks attached to any artificial lure must be free-swinging, except on an artificial fly or jig. In addition, in Chautauqua Creek, from the bridge on South Gale Street upstream 1.3 miles to the upper Village of Westfield water intake dam, this is a catch-and-release zone for trout and salmon. Generally, for all Lake Erie tributaries of Chautauqua County, a 12-inch minimum size limit with a daily bag limit of 3 fish per person. Anglers can check the NYSDEC fishing regulations at https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7917.html. Catch/release is encouraged. Steelhead can live for decades. 

Also take note that our local inland trout stream catch and release fishing season starts Oct. 16, no harvest is allowed unless specifically noted in the exceptions, see the syllabus. 

In our local hunting world, the New York State Southern Zone Early Big Game Archery Season for whitetail deer and black bear opened on Oct. 1 and will run through Nov. 14 (the day before the NYS Southern Zone regular deer firearm season begins). The Southern Zone Regular Firearms (deer and bear) will run Nov. 15 – Dec. 7, followed by the late archery/muzzleloader season from Dec. 8 – Dec. 16; then, for deer only, the special late holiday season Dec. 26 (2025) – Jan. 1 (2026) in many wildlife management units. Archery gear (including crossbows) can also be used during any NYS big game season. 

The full moon periods at this time of year trigger the transformation of male and female deer, enabling the breeding season to occur. According to experts, the peak rut for whitetail deer usually follows the full moon by six to nine days. During both the October and November full moon periods, deer can be watched chasing each other, with bucks fighting to defend their breeding territory. This thrilling rut activity creates an exciting advantage for hunters.  

Crossbows are now legal in all NYS big game hunting seasons where bowhunting is permitted but always check the latest online syllabus for your exact hunting area regarding new rules. Hunting hours are from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. With any hunting implement, always be sure of your target and beyond. It’s crucial to respect private property boundaries, especially with the legal crossbow use in the early archery season, as there will be a lot more hunters in the woods this year. There is likely to be an increased harvest, but with changes to tagging and harvest reporting requirements, be sure to know and follow the rules. 

Some of the more recent regulation changes include print‐and‐email (paper) tags/licenses. The DEC paper tags/licenses can now be received via email and printed at home, eliminating the need for special DEC paper stock. Backtags are no longer required, but somehow big brother is watching. Good luck to everyone who is headed to the big game woods. Be careful. Be safe. Remember, there are plenty of deer here in Western New York. Good luck in the deer woods.

Lastly, this coming Saturday, Oct. 18, the NYS Western Southern zone pheasant season opens, and the NYS Southern Zone turkey season also opens. See the syllabus map for where these zones are defined. Hunting hours for turkey and pheasant are sunrise to sunset. The turkey season bag limit is one bird of either sex – turkey season ends Oct. 31. The daily bag limit for pheasant is two birds of either sex – pheasant season ends Feb. 28, 2026. Above the pheasant and turkey seasons, the NYS Southern Zone ruffed grouse season runs concurrently from Oct. 1 – Feb. 28, with a daily bag limit of four birds.

Gotta love the outdoors.

Outdoors Calendar

Oct. 16 – Opening day of NYS inland trout catch and release season. 

Oct. 16 – Southtowns Walleye Association, monthly meeting, 7 p.m., 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg. 

Oct. 16 – Lake Erie Chapter of Fly Fishers International, monthly meeting, fly tying, 6 p.m., meeting 7 p.m. – steelhead fishing in local streams with local experts; Burchfield Nature and Arts Center, 2002 Union Road, West Seneca.

Oct. 18 – NYS Western Zone pheasant season opens. Season ends Feb. 28, 2026. See syllabus for bag limits, etc.

Oct. 1 – NYS Southern Zone turkey season opens, sunrise to sunset, season bag limit: 1 bird either sex, ends Oct. 31. 

Oct. 21 – Erie County Fish Advisory Board meeting, 7 p.m., Bison City Rod and Gun, 511 Ohio St., Open to the public.

Oct. 25-Jan. 12 – NYS late Canada Goose hunting season in Southern, West Central and East Central zones; check bag limits; see syllabus.  

Oct. 31–  Last day of NYS southern zone turkey season.

Nov. 8-9 –  NYS Western Zone waterfowl hunting military days, see syllabus for bag limits/rules.

Nov. 11 – NYS Free Fishing Day, no license needed to fish for residents and non-residents.

Nov. 15 – NYS Southern Zone Regular (firearms) Southern Zone Big Game hunting season opens, through Dec. 7.  

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