Salmon and Steelhead fishing in NY

[mute]

I've scoured the net for a bunch of information and am now looking to get some first hand knowledge from the many members that probably experienced this many times.

My brother and I are planning on doing our first Steelhead / Salmon ( big fish catching attempt ) trip this year. What im looking for is quick value information ( not honey holes and gps coordinates ) in order to be successful this fall.

The game plan would be to heard to upstate NY ( Pulaski area ) to try to get into some bigger fish then we're used to. Im not too sure on the best times to go at this point whether it would be Fall or Winter now that spring has passed.

We are all set for gear ( got some 6 and 8 weight rods ). However like mentioned, not exactly sure on what stretches of streams to hit and more importantly what months\times.

 

[moon1284]

Best time is around sept 15 for salmon. Kind if risky though because it could vs too early. Fish are brighter and fight harder when they come right out of the lake. Fall through spring there are plenty of fish, but they turn dark and don't fight as hard. Best fishing = mid sept. Safest bet = mid oct. Early in the season fish down low towards the dsr for fresh fish. Later in the season fish up high in altmar for numbers.

 

[mute]

Thanks for the info moon! Anyone else? Thought for sure a handful of people fished this area on this board.

 

[govtmule]

not sure what else can be said...the 6wt is probably not gonna cut it....you need to put your time in on this river but dont overthink it. The river is not that long, these fish move, so if you found a good spot one day with fish it may or may not have fish the next day. Check the reports of whitakers up there...you need to go where the fsh are and get out on the river early...

 

[moon1284]

Yea, agreed I wouldn't use a 6 weight. Your 8 weight will work fine for both salmon and steelhead. I would not pay to fish anywhere on that river. You can get close to the dsr by parking in pulaski on side streets like bridge street, forest street, church st, etc. I can't remember the exact name and I haven't fished the sr for a few years. If you go upstream, a good place to park is by the lower fly zone in altmar. It's crowded but there's always a lot of fish there.

 

[troutwilleatflies]

As said best time period is from late Sept until freeze up.Once the fish come in they spread thru out very quickly.The Steel follow the Salmon so they are not numerous until mid Oct,You can use a 6wt but if you get into a 30# king you will be under powered,so stick to the 8 wt.A big MUST HAVE is corkers or studded boots.The SR is loaded with slippery rocks and can be very swift if the water is elevated.Look for lodging NOW,everything will be booked later if not already.

 

[Biggie]

If you can't find a room around Pulaski, just head towards Syracuse. It's only 30 min. away and many more rooms available even at the last minute. Plus many more places to eat and drink around the Cuse than Pulaski.

 

[melvinp]

It will make you think that there's not a fish in the whole river too the most unbelievable trip of your life.Good luck,Im heading up labor day with my kayak for smallies and what ever else i'm lucky enough to hook in too.

 

[mcneishm]

A 6 wt. rod will NOT do it for the fish in the SR. 9'/8wt. would be the minimum. That's what I use. It strikes a decent balance between letting the fish fight and having enough backbone and heft to get a 25# king to the net. While prime time on SR is mid- to late September to mid- to late October for Salmon, you can get into early runs between now and mid-September. Some of the very best fishing I've had there, the kind where you very literally catch fish 'til your arms ache, has been late August/early September. The best part of about that is the lack of crowds. I've been up there during that time and have seen only a couple of other anglers. Reports right now indicate there are a few fish in the river. Whether that will translate into a meaningful early run remains to be seen. Avoid Labor Day and Columbus Day weekends.

You begin to see some steelhead around mid-October or so. I've caught them earlier but only a few here and there. The browns start showing up late September behind the main run of salmon vacuuming up the spent eggs. There are not a lot of browns but the ones that are there are real hawgs.

Good luck.

 

[daman1277]

the salmon have started to move in to the river

 

[gulfgreyhound]

https://fatnancystackle.com/blogs/river-report/lake-ontario-salmon-river-report-8-26
GG

 

[troutwilleatflies]

There are more and more Salmon coming in every day,this cool weather is a BIG bonus.Reports from the lake fisherman are that there are great numbers on the fish finders so the run should be a good one.

 

[melvinp]

Still need two more weeks there are a few tails going up stream but very few and the ones on the move are really moving.

 

[troutwilleatflies]

The DSR has reported huge numbers coming in now,the run has started and it looks like a good one.

 

[moon1284]

Early run this year it seems. The best time to get there is now if you want bright fish. The difference between a steelhead or salmon caught on the 3rd day it's in the river vs the 30th day it's in the river is huge.