Reports

My friend Jeff decided to check on the smelt tonight, so I drove down and watched at least 40 anglers working the creek. That’s a good crowd for a weeknight! Fishing was fairly slow – with most anglers dipping a few – from a handful to a couple dozen. I watched from 10:30 pm till 12:30 am. Driving the fish produced the best action. It was very reminiscent of the early 2000s -before the smelt fishing really slowed down. A trickle of fish, but better action late – mainly during drives. It’s nice to see the smelt gradually coming back in Cayuga Lake. Most fish were large. I think a warm rain would have the potential of producing some decent runs – but time will tell. I didn’t feel compelled to don my waders and grab my net tonight, though I had my gear in my truck. I’ll be back and I’ll have a full report – most likely after the next good rain. A few salmon were also in the creek – obviously gobbling smelt! Suckers are around too.

cayuga lake smelt