978-546-9704
| North Coast Angler 978-546-9704 | |
Western New York is truly a “World Class” destination fishery for salmon, steelhead and brown trout! The Salmon River in Pulaski and the Oak Orchard River in Carlton/Albion are among the best of the best. Whether you are a fly caster or other, you will no doubt enjoy the fishing out there.   The Salmon River is made up of churning pools, deep runs, riffles, glides, and pockets. The river bed is mostly slate, gravel, boulders and very slippery. Waders set up with “Korkers” or other cleats are necessary to keep your footing. The upper end of the river is made up mostly of deep pools and runs and is generally less swift. Below Route 81 the river picks up speed on its way to Lake Ontario. This area is made up mostly of hard pushing pools, glides, swift runs, and pockets. The upper end of the Salmon River near Altmar has two fly fishing only sections. Check the special regulations. Fishing in the vicinity of Altmar can be good since the fish tend to hold up well there. This area can also be very crowded so remember that the fish entering the Salmon River are migrating in from the lake and can be anywhere in the river. Below Altmar the river flows through pools such as School House, Wire, Ellis Cove, Trestle, Sportsman's, Compactor, Papermill, Ball Field, and Black Hole as well as many others. Below the Black Hole the river enters the Douglaston Salmon Run which is an area you need to purchase a permit in order to fish. This area is excellent and offers angling for fish fresh from the lake since it borders the mouth of the river. These fish tend to be less selective and will eagerly take a well presented pattern. Overall there is approximately 12 miles of very productive water to fish. Some areas tend to hold fish better then others but remember that they are migrating fish and have to get through one area in order to get to the next. Access to the river is generally easy. There are numerous designated access points as well as other areas to pull over and fish. State routes 13, 11, 81, and 2 as well as other roads provide access to the river. Fish an area and move if you’re not successful. Sometimes it’s a matter of finding the fish. For more detailed information about specific Salmon River pools and access, Click Here Beginning as early as the first week of August, huge schools of Chinook and Coho salmon begin staging in the bay near the estuary of the Salmon River. By mid to late August, male salmon begin to appear in the river system. The river estuary can produce some of the most exciting fishing found anywhere in the world. The fish are fresh out of Lake Ontario and offer an opportunity to catch them on a variety of light tackle. Some of my fondest memories of fishing the Salmon River are in the estuary. My brother and I honed our steelhead fishing skills here. Weather conditions usually dictate how many fish and how soon they will arrive from the lake. The cooler weather, strong onshore winds, river flow and heavy rains impact fish movement (as well their biological clock).
Labor Day weekend is the traditional start of the salmon season. River flows will be increased from the usual summer flow of 185 cfs to 750 cfs. The increase in water flow triggers the salmon to begin their push. The water flow for the remainder of the fall will be determined based on many factors, but it can and will vary due to rainfall and other factors associated with the dam at Altmar and the Tug Hill watershed. Most of the traditional spawning areas and gravel bars are well upstream of the Pineville Bridge. This is where you will find the highest concentration of salmon as well as anglers. Chinook and Coho salmon spawn in the fall. The Salmon run peaks during October and usually ends by the beginning of November with their demise.
The fall run will bring in Chinooks, Coho’s, Browns, Steelhead and even a few Lake Trout. They will vary in numbers and size. The most plentiful fish to return to the Salmon River is the Chinook. Chinooks caught in the Salmon River have been weighed in at over 40 lbs with most of the fish in the 20-30 lb range. Coho Salmon are generally fewer in number and in size, but for me, a much better fish to catch because they come readily to the fly, are not as large and taste better.
Steelhead (trout) spawn in the spring but will enter the Salmon River as early as the beginning of September to gorge on the abundance of fresh salmon roe. Along with steelhead, brown trout will begin their fall spawning run. The Salmon River is not known as the "best" brown trout fishery in W. NY, but you will no doubt get some hook ups. At times, you might even find a lake trout at the end of your line.
By the end of October and into November steelhead are present in the river in ever increasing numbers and as such, rapidly become the favored quarry. This is the time to be out there. The salmon anglers have left so the crowd becomes much smaller. The steelhead season is open all year long on the Salmon River; however it is most productive between the months of November and April. Even during the coldest days of winter, trophy steelhead can be caught in the river. However, at this time of year, the river and weather conditions can be quite variable. It can range from a mild autumn day to bone numbing cold and to several feet of snow in just a few days!
As winter approaches, only the hardiest of anglers are present. It's really cold and there can be lots of snow (like this year), but lots of fish too. Dress warm, start fishing later in the morning, fish upstream of the slush line and break out spinning rods and egg sacs...wear gloves with hand warmers. When spring finally arrives, the steelhead spawning run begins. The melting snow pack can change the water flow tremendously. The increase in water flow brings a big push of fresh fish into the river. The weather conditions are ever changing….be prepared for anything!
The spring steelhead run is mostly overlooked. The post spawn steelhead will typically stay in the river and feed. They will slowly make their way back to the lake by early May or when the water temperature rises to 55F. Remember, steelhead do not die after the spawn.
Whitakers Sport Shop in Pulaski maintains a very good web site with daily fishing reports and links to other useful info such as Salmon River water flow.
 Heading west from Pulaski along Lake Ontario, there are countless small creek tributaries and other rivers that at one time or another, depending mainly on water flow, will have a run of salmon and trout. Some of the better known ones are; Grindstone Creek, Oswego River, Little Salmon River, and Maxwell Creek. As you head further west, beyond Rochester, you will find several creeks/small rivers that produce some of the very best trout fishing found anywhere on the planet. Brown trout to over 20 pounds, Chinook and Coho salmon, steelhead, domestic rainbows, and an occasional Atlantic salmon! The better known creek is a small spate river known as Oak Orchard. The “Oak” as it is known, is an absolute pleasure to wade, walk and fish. It is located some 35 miles west of Rochester in the town of Carlton. The most fishable water is about a mile or so in length and begins at the state access area off Park Ave. and flows upstream to the Waterport Dam. The bottom is made up of mainly sand, gravel, Zebra mussels, not particularly slippery and for the most part, not to deep. Most anglers set up near troughs, current seams, bank undercuts, points and bends. Be aware of posted areas on the banks and move through them by staying in the water. Fishing upstream near the dam can be a good choice if water flow is optimal, but be very careful of sudden changes in water flow or stepping into a deep hole. The fishing usually begins in September with a good push of Chinook and some Coho. The salmon will continue to come well into October, with the peak at mid-month. But the real draw to the “Oak” is the Brown trout fall spawning run. The browns typically will enter the river at or near the tail of the salmon run. So, from the middle of October to the end of November is prime time. As with any dam controlled river system, water flow, water temperature and other factors will influence the run.
The “Oak” Browns range in size from a few pounds all the way up to 20+. It is not uncommon to hook-up as many as 20 fish a day and on other days, none! The male trout are usually first to arrive in the river course followed in spurts by the lunker females. The “Oak” is also host to a good solid steelhead run that typically begins at about the same time as the Browns enter the river. The steelhead is on average smaller than the fish found in the Salmon River, but every bit as tough. You will also find a solid population of brightly colored up domestic Rainbows, some up to 15 pounds! And don’t be surprised by an occasional Atlantic salmon. I have seen a few pushing 10 pounds +. I don’t know of anywhere else on the planet where you could stand in one spot along the river and catch a Brown trout, a Chinook salmon, a steelhead, a Rainbow and an Atlantic salmon all in the same day! I have! It’s truly an amazing destination and a very comfortable place to fish. It can get very crowded, however, I have found that most anglers to be polite and somewhat willing to give you some elbow room.
Just to the east of the Oak is Sandy Creek. A great spot when the water flow is right. Here you will find similar quarry and usually smaller crowds. A half hour west of the Oak is Eighteen Mile Creek at Burt Dam. Again, expect similar quarry but with a bigger crowd.
Unlike Steelhead and Brown trout the Chinooks can sometimes be difficult to take with a fly or lure. They are not feeding, but rather strike through aggression. They are most aggressive when they are fresh from the lake and have not seen many flies or other offerings. Once the fish have been in the river system for a period of time they tend to not strike with the same aggression. There has been controversy about fishermen "lifting" salmon. "Lifting" is when they try to snag the fish, which is an unfortunate part of the entire Great Lake's fishery. Snagging has been outlawed and game wardens patrol the river to issue fines to anglers that are caught violating the rules that govern this fishery. Most of the non-fly fishermen during the salmon run use hefty spinning outfits spooled with 30 pound mono and rigged for"lifting". Fly fishing outfits generally consist of 9 or 10 weight rods with an equally good fly reel that has sufficient backing and a reliable drag system. Floating fly lines with 10-14 foot leaders (16-20 pound test) attached to a small three way swivel tagged with a split shot dropper (3" long) and tipped with not more than 4 feet of 10-14 pound fluorocarbon tippet. Special sink tip lines will also work when water depth and current flow are optimal. The key is to get the fly down into the fish’s strike zone; usually a foot or so off the bottom. Steelhead and Brown trout angling tactics is not too dissimilar to fishing trout in any stream. Fish the seams, quarter your cast upstream, dead-drift with 1 or 2 mends and keep the rod high too minimize line drag. For fly-fishing, a 7 to 9 weight outfit with floating line set up as described above, except downsize the leader and tippet material. Tippet material rated at 3x to 4x work well. For the spin angler, the most productive method is “float fishing” with freshly tied egg sacs. Other spin anglers will set up 9 to 10 foot medium light action rods, use a leader and tippet method similar to the fly angler and tip with an egg sac or fly. For more information on tackle tactics, drop an email or call us. 
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