7 Best Places to Catch Trout in Erie County Right Now

If you love to fish, this certainly has been one of the more interesting springs in Western New York.

For trout anglers trying to get out and hit their favorite streams, conditions have changed by the day. One afternoon the creeks look absolutely perfect, and the next morning they are swollen, muddy, and moving so fast it is nearly impossible to even get close enough to cast.

Still, trout season is rolling on,  and there is plenty of hope for much better fishing days ahead.

In fact, there are still several ideal places around the Buffalo area where anglers can find stocked trout and enjoy some solid spring fishing.

Wettest Spring Conditions Have Made Trout Fishing A Challenge

Since the trout season officially opened on April 1, fishermen from all across Western New York have been trying to locate fishable water that was not flooded, iced over, or blown out from rain.

This spring has brought one challenge after another.

Meteorologists across Western New York have described this as one of the wettest and coldest starts to spring in recent memory, and even as we head into May there is still a chance of snow flurries in parts of the region.

Read More: New York State Warns About Dangerous Turkey Hunting Tactic

That constant rainfall has made many creeks nearly impossible to wade and has kept visibility low in several normally productive trout streams. But there are some who have found a way to fish!

New York DEC Has Stocked Thousands Of Trout Across Western New York

The good news for anglers is that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has once again loaded up creeks, streams, rivers, and lakes with spring trout stockings that continue through early June.

Rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, and larger holdover fish have all been released in stocked waters to give anglers plenty of opportunities despite the rough weather.

Some of the most productive trout waters in Western New York continue to be heavily stocked each spring, and DEC officials say anglers should continue checking conditions because once water levels settle, the bite can get hot in a hurry.

Best Erie County Trout Streams To Check First

If you are asking where the best place is to catch a trout in Erie County right now, the DEC stocking lists make it pretty easy to narrow down some excellent starting points.

Among the Erie County waters that traditionally receive some of the best spring trout stockings are:

• Cattaraugus Creek
• Cayuga Creek
• East Branch Cazenovia Creek
• Buffalo Creek tributaries
• Eighteenmile Creek areas
• Various public access ponds and smaller stocked streams

DEC stocking reports show thousands of trout are released into these Erie County waters during the spring season, giving local anglers a very realistic shot at success once stream flows become manageable.

And many New York anglers online continue to say the same thing this season , the trout are there, you just need to time the water conditions correctly.

Trout Fishing Is Still One Of The Best Ways To Get Kids Outdoors

As we move into May and spring turkey season gets rolling, outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen across New York are finally getting back into the woods and onto the water.

And if you decide to set the turkey call down for a morning and pick up the fishing pole instead, trout fishing remains one of the absolute best ways to introduce kids to the outdoors.

You really do not need much to get started:

• a basic fishing pole,
• a few hooks,
• some kernels of corn,
• nightcrawlers,
• or a small spinner bait.

That can be enough to hook into a beautiful Erie County trout and create a memory that keeps a kid wanting to come back.

Trout fishing offers fast action, beautiful scenery, and just enough challenge to make every catch exciting.

Better Fishing Days Are Coming To Western New York

Good luck if you are heading out over the next several days.

Yes, temperatures are still going to be colder than average for this time of year, but that cooler water is actually helping trout thrive in many Western New York streams.

Once creek levels drop and visibility improves, Erie County could offer some of the best trout fishing of the spring. The fish are there. Now anglers just need the weather to cooperate.