Smallmouth Bass
Where: boulder runs, bridge shade, pool tails, creek-mouth rock, and lower-river current breaks on Eighteenmile Creek.
Move: tubes, Ned rigs, small jerkbaits, poppers, and crayfish-colored streamers.
Species guide →Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara)
Good
About Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara)
Eighteenmile Creek at Olcott on the Niagara County Lake Ontario shore drains 86 square miles into the harbor at Burt Dam. The Burt Dam fishery is one of the best-known Lake Ontario steelhead destinations -- the powerhouse pool stacks fish through winter, and the access road brings anglers to the water within fifty feet of their cars. Crowded weekends; weekday solitude is achievable.
September through April with peaks at the fall run (October-December) and the spring (March-April). Dam pool holds fish through winter regardless of upstream flow. The optimal fishing flow on Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara) is 100–230 CFS — flows above this range are typically too high and stained, flows below run low and clear. The river's long-term median flow is approximately 115 CFS, computed from the last several years of USGS gauge readings.
Current conditions (live, updated every 15 minutes): flow 134 CFS, water 70.7°F, clarity clear. Steelhead Addiction's Guide's Report rates the river GOOD as of this reading.
Flow Rate
134
CFS
Gauge Height
6.47
ft
Water Temp
70.7
°F
Air Temp
73.2
°F
Clarity
Clear
Wind
🌬 7 mph
NNW
Onshore — mouth mud likely
Last updated: 16 seconds ago (3:45 PM EDT)
Conditions today: Good. Trending: rough.
Flow
Pressure
Air temp, scaled
Rain per hour
Storm pulse window
Hourly flow pending
No rain in the window, but flow climbed from 108 to 127 CFS — that's upstream release, snowmelt, or a tributary feeding in. Water temp shifted dropped by 0.5°F. Clarity went Clear. The bite-implication of a clean-water rise without rain is one of fishing's better mysteries. Quiet sky on the way. Conditions should hold.
Lookback window Sep 8, 3 pm to Sep 11, 3 pm ET.
Data refresh every 15 min. This is a pattern read, not proof of causation; fish reserve the right to embarrass the spreadsheet.
Flow
Pressure
Air temp, scaled
Rain per hour
Storm pulse window
Hourly flow pending
Three days of nothing. 223 CFS held within 275%, water sat at 71°F, barometer barely moved. These are the days where the lake just shrugs at us. If the bite is on, no obvious reason. If it's off, also no obvious reason. Quiet sky on the way. Conditions should hold.
Lookback window Sep 4, 3 pm to Sep 11, 3 pm ET.
Data refresh every 15 min. This is a pattern read, not proof of causation; fish reserve the right to embarrass the spreadsheet.
| Gauge | Flow (CFS) | Height (ft) | Water Temp | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eighteenmile Creek at Newfane (primary) | 134 | 6.47 | - | 17 seconds ago 3:45 PM EDT |
| Eighteenmile Creek at Burt | 100 | 3.10 | 70.7°F | 16 seconds ago 3:45 PM EDT |
Guide's Report
Based on current conditions as of Fri, Sep 11 at 3:45 PM EDT (16 seconds ago)
Running 134 CFS, water is clear, 71°F — prime summer feeding temp. Dialed-in anglers will have a good day. Crystal clear — long leaders and small flies. Forty Dollar Egg, Five Dollar Fish.
Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara)
Today's Weather: Fair
73° NW 2mph
Coming up: Mostly Clear
Flow Rate
0
CFS
·
6.47
ft
49th percentile · Typical
Summer mode - skinny but moving
24h trend
↘
-11%
Summer fishability window
145–444 CFS
Current-month middle flow band for warm-water fishing
72h movement
slight rise (+17.9%)
Distance
skinny but moving · 6.47ft
Falls below range by
Mon 3:33am
(~100 CFS)
Clear
· 73°F
· NNW 7mph
30.03" ↘
Guide says:
Running 134 CFS, water is clear, 71°F — prime summer feeding temp. Dialed-in anglers will have a good day. Crystal clear — long leaders and small flies. Forty Dollar Egg, Five Dollar Fish.
"Forty Dollar Egg, Five Dollar Fish"
Flow is low — fish are stacked in the deepest pools and runs. Approach carefully, they spook easy.
Clear water — ideal for visual hunters like smallmouth. Long leaders, natural colors, and finesse presentations like drop-shots will produce.
Water at 71°F — prime summer pattern. Smallmouth Bass are highly active and aggressive across all techniques.
How to Fish It
Technique
Topwater time. Early morning and late evening topwater action can be explosive. Whopper Ploppers, Spook Jrs, or frog patterns over rocky flats and shorelines.
Fly/Lure Selection
Clear water demands finesse. 6-8lb fluoro, natural colored tubes (watermelon, green pumpkin), 3-inch drop-shot worms, or small swimbaits.
Where to Fish
Target boulder runs, bedrock pools, bridge pilings, and shaded banks where river smallies find cover.
Timing
Dawn and dusk windows are prime. Get out early before the sun is high, or fish the last 90 minutes of light.
What's Coming
Light rain forecast will freshen the river and push new fish in from the lake. Low water should bump into the ideal range.
Conditions
Bright skies — fish will hunker in deeper water and shaded lies. Focus on undercut banks, bridge shadows, and deeper runs.
Rigs to consider right now
Match the current report to a setup
Ned Rig
Catches fish that are willing to eat but not interested in chasing something loud.
Beginner
Neko Rig
Adds a different fall and bottom posture when Ned or wacky presentations are getting ignored.
Intermediate
Texas Rig
Gets a soft plastic through cover without turning every cast into salad.
Beginner
Drop Shot Rig
Keeps the bait in the strike zone without dragging it into every rock on the bottom.
Intermediate
Fall river plan
Eighteenmile Creek summer fishing targets
Water temperature is in the active warmwater range. Expect bass and panfish to feed around current breaks, rock, and shade.
Walleye
Where: lake mouths, harbor edges, deeper summer basin water, and low-light shoreline structure on Eighteenmile Creek.
Move: crawler harnesses, crankbaits, jigs, and evening presentations near moving water.
Species guide →Panfish
Where: docks, weed edges, ponds, marina slips, brush, and shaded shoreline structure on Eighteenmile Creek.
Move: small jigs, waxworms, micro poppers, and slip floats for kids or fast action.
Species guide →Northern Pike
Where: cooler weed edges, connected backwaters, tributary mouths, and ambush lanes on Eighteenmile Creek.
Move: spinnerbaits, spoons, jerkbaits, and quick releases when water warms.
Species guide →Current read
Water temp 70.7°F. Clarity is clear. Overall rating: Good for smallmouth bass. Use the graph below to time falling or stabilizing flows before committing a trip.
Summer FAQ
What can I fish for on Eighteenmile Creek in summer?
Focus on the warm-water species shown above, then use the live flow, clarity, and temperature read to choose shade, rock, current breaks, creek mouths, lakefront structure, and low-light windows.
Steelhead care
Should I target steelhead on Eighteenmile Creek in summer?
Usually no. When water is warm, shift to smallmouth, walleye, panfish, pike, or another summer target instead of pressuring stressed trout.
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7-Day Flow & Temperature
Flow distribution
1095-day history · n=1,999 · 84% confidence
Now vs history
In the sweet spot
Optimal window
100–230 CFS
Per-river researched optimal range
Typical range
100–166 CFS
25th–75th percentile
Seasonal context:
Current flow is below typical for September.
September median on this river: 192 CFS
(n=247 hourly samples).
Clarity vs flow ranges
Steelhead Green
likely now
95–129 CFS typical
Stained
273–339 CFS typical
Muddy
563–978 CFS typical
Below average:
Quieter than usual — stealth matters.
Sample quantiles
|
Theoretical line
Fair fit — tails diverge (71%)
Points on the dashed line mean the river's flow distribution is log-normal. Bows at the tails suggest multiple flow regimes (snowmelt vs rain events) or sensor artifacts. The math for this river uses log-space statistics, so a poor fit here is a reason to squint at the optimal zone.
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Near Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara)
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30-Day Statistics
Min Flow
78 CFS
Max Flow
745 CFS
Avg Flow
191 CFS
Min Temp
69.8°F
Max Temp
77.4°F
Avg Temp
72.3°F
7-Day Fishing Outlook
Multiple days of heavy rain ahead — expect significant flow increases and muddy water. Plan trips for windows between rain events or 1-2 days after.
Best day to fish: Saturday — Warm for steelhead season — focus on early morning when water is coolest.
Monday is the day before rain moves in — barometric pressure drop often triggers aggressive feeding. Don't miss it.
Daily Fishing Forecast
Weather-based daily ratings — independent of current river flow. A "good" forecast day can still mean a blown-out river. Cross-reference with the Guide's Report above for a complete picture.
Today — Angler's Report
fair fishing- Dry conditions — flows should remain stable. Good day to target tailouts and runs.
- Warm for steelhead season — focus on early morning when water is coolest.
NWS Forecast Detail
This Afternoon:
Sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind 2 to 7 mph.
Tonight:
Mostly clear, with a low around 52. East wind 1 to 5 mph.
Saturday — Angler's Report
good fishing- Warm for steelhead season — focus on early morning when water is coolest.
NWS Forecast Detail
Saturday:
A slight chance of rain showers after 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. South wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Saturday Night:
A slight chance of rain showers before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Sunday — Angler's Report
good fishing- Warm for steelhead season — focus on early morning when water is coolest.
NWS Forecast Detail
Sunday:
Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. West wind 7 to 12 mph.
Sunday Night:
A slight chance of rain showers after 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northwest wind 5 to 12 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Monday — Angler's Report
good fishing- Warm for steelhead season — focus on early morning when water is coolest.
NWS Forecast Detail
Monday:
A slight chance of rain showers before 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. North wind 5 to 9 mph.
Monday Night:
Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. Southeast wind 5 to 9 mph.
Tuesday — Angler's Report
fair fishing- Moderate rain will push flows up. Water may get stained to muddy — switch to bright flies and heavier weight.
- Warm for steelhead season — focus on early morning when water is coolest.
NWS Forecast Detail
Tuesday:
A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Tuesday Night:
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Wednesday — Angler's Report
good fishing- Light rain will bump flows slightly and give overcast skies — steelhead feed aggressively in these conditions.
- Warm for steelhead season — focus on early morning when water is coolest.
NWS Forecast Detail
Wednesday:
A chance of rain showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday Night:
A chance of rain showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 58. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday — Angler's Report
fair fishing- Moderate rain will push flows up. Water may get stained to muddy — switch to bright flies and heavier weight.
- Warm for steelhead season — focus on early morning when water is coolest.
NWS Forecast Detail
Thursday:
A chance of rain showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Thursday Night:
A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56.
Forecast via NWS, updated 1 hour ago (2:01 PM EDT). Fishing ratings are estimates based on weather — always check current river conditions.
Recommended Gear
Clear water + low water + warmer temps — finesse tippet and natural patterns first.
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