Olcott, NY Fishing Report & Live Conditions

Olcott, NY fishing report

Olcott sits at the mouth of Eighteen Mile Creek, and that tributary influence shapes the fishing calendar more than anything else. Spring brings steelhead stacking at the creek mouth and along the nearshore structure as water warms into the low 40s — these fish are aggressive and often shallow. Summer transitions to open-water trolling for Chinook salmon that follow the thermocline out into cooler, deeper water as surface temps climb. By late summer and fall, both Chinooks and browns push back toward shore, staging near the creek mouth before their upstream runs, and a second wave of steelhead follows close behind into late autumn.

For salmon in summer, run spoons and stick baits off downriggers targeting the 50 to 65-degree temperature band, often 40 to 80 feet down. Browns and steelhead in spring and fall respond well to shallow stick baits and flies worked near the creek outflow, especially when creek flow is elevated and stained water meets clear lake water — fish hold tight to that color edge. In fall, watch for baitfish concentrations near the surface at dawn; Chinooks and browns will push them against the breakwall, making casting spoons or swimbaits surprisingly effective from the pier.