Fishing the lower Niagara." New-Be "

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/67913.html

Tom, I've spent a lot of years fishing the lower Niagara River. From shore and in boats. It's a fantastic fishery and it's tough. Lewiston is the main launch on the N.Y. side. The lower Youngstown launch is for very small boats and runs shallow. You definitely need a N.Y. license and you must favor the N.Y.  shore side. The middle of the river is the divide. Canada - USA.
If you favor the Canada side you will need a Canada license. Do not push your luck! Years ago both Countries were lenient on enforcing that law....no more!
 
The Lewiston drift is the main drift to start in a boat as a novice I would still be careful how far up river you go. I don't know what size boat you have but most guys are running deep V's about 18 ft.
Other smaller ones will work but careful is the word. I would not attempt the Devil's Hole area that is farther up river by the power dams.
Lewiston on down river is the majority of boat drift fishing. Some areas produce better but fish can be had throughout the river's drift. You'll need a good trolling motor to keep your drifting even with the current and the shore. The lower area is good fishing down near Fort Niagara. Out in the mouth is the Bar area and that can be excellent when fishable. Look at a map and study some of the area. Once again Canada / N.Y. boundaries. 
 
You really need to go up and survey the area first and see what's going on. Start at Lewiston and check out the launch area and watch the boats and their drifting techniques. I would go up and shore fish the Art Park area first. That way you can see first hand what's going on. Then ride down to Youngstown to the Fort area and check it out. No shore fishing here but you can see the mouth of the river.  Shore fishing can be a blast and fighting those big fish in that strong current requires good reliable gear. I use 10lb. line and Med / heavy rods. My reels are Penn 4400's. The river is relentless with snags so be ready. It's the Major League's of river fishing especially from shore. The first time you land a big Steelhead or Lake Trout you will be on a fishing high ! These fish have the whole river to run and jump and a strong current flow that just favors them 100%.
Don't get frustrated it's very challenging but there is nothing comparable in river sport fishing!      

Art, Thank you so much for the help. I can see from your pictures It can be both fun & challenging. The pic's show me how wide the river is I was think it was a lot wider than it is.Wouldn't be go to just have a season NY and a Can license so not to worry about it.I see that where would be a lot to learn. I would go out on a charter for the first couple trips but I fish alone and charters want a couple guys going. I have a Larson 18.5 deep V with a Evenrude 150 & 9.9 troller.   So I would use my boat and fish by myself I know its not the norm and thats now I fish Lake Erie but not fast moving rivers and use a drift sock to slow me down. Great help & " Fish On"

Most boats use a three way setup. You need to have enough weight to tap the bottom .
Usually a 3/4 to 1 oz. sinker for starters. Trout beads , egg sacs , kwik fish lures all work.
Shoreline sinkers vary according to the flow. Once again you have to tap bottom to get in the strike zone. Bring lots of weights (sinkers) and hooks. This river is deep quick and full of boulders and rocks. No worry about your prop hitting anything unless you get to close to shore.
Fishing alone in this water is something I don't recommend for safety. Don't take this river lightly it's killed fishermen over the years. Check it out first before you attempt any boat fishing.    

Thanks , I've fished the Niagara for over 30 years and I'm semi retired from N.Y. fishing. Just too crowded for my style now days. Mostly fish Pa. and Ohio creeks when I do go. You sound like your new to a lot of this style fishing. You should learn how to tie egg sacs and preserve them.
I have Brown Trout eggs preserved for over 7 years and they still look good.
All Kwik Fish colors will work I prefer Greens and Silvers. I would leave the night crawlers home. There are no bait shops around Lewiston anymore that I know of Kim closed years ago. 
Poor Richards in Erie sells sacs and single eggs when they arrive.
Blue Fox lures are also used big and bright work best. 
Only places we stayed in Lewiston are Riverside Motel (716)754-4101 and
Portage Motel (716) 754-8295 
We've caught plenty of fish from boats mostly Lakers along with Browns and Steelhead.