Salmon River, Oswego County, NY, 8/21/26

[hooker-of-men]

It has been about 5 years since my first and only unproductive trip to Salmon River, so my brain must've grown just addled enough to accept an invitation for a day trip from a buddy who is very enthusiastic about the fishery.

We hit the Upper Fly for the morning and then spots around the museum parking area through the afternoon, fishing 7 am - 4 pm. There were plentiful fish in both sections, but none of our party could get a single bite. Eggs of all colors, swung streamers, dead drifted streamers, stoneflies, etc. - they actively swam away from anything coming remotely into their zone. I guess they're just getting too beat and spooky from the first wave of the frenzy?

On the plus side, there were very few people in the fly section, and it was nothing like the combat fishing I experienced on my first trip.

There were more people downriver as it got later in the day but still not cheek-to-cheek. That was pleasant. I also only saw a handful of kids trying to rip the fishes' faces off with spinners, so that was... uplifting?

I did accidentally dorsal hook one fish for about 10 seconds, which was a pretty exciting explosion. Luckily, after trying to beach itself, it threw the hook, so I didn't leave it with any of the fancy jewelry some of the fish were dolled up with.

I didn't catch any, but I did have a long conversation with this fellow about wtf I was doing there.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Wow thats a long day trip from pa

 

[hooker-of-men]

Wow thats a long day trip from pa

I'm in NY, an hour north of Albany. 3 hour drive coming and going still felt like a very long day trip.

Questionable if I'd accept the invite again, unless to try for steelhead* later in the season (which I've never done, so I'm curious).

 

[C3Addict]

Tough fishing now with the low water, it’s probly gonna stay low for a while also.
Watching Fat Nancy’s web came shows plenty of hook ups at the town pool, but a lot of people there too.

There’s a YouTuber JBfishandgame giving daily live stream reports. He’s been doing pretty well at the staircase (below town pool)

The Kings are the only thing running now, the other salmon will follow until mid end of October.
Last year the third week of October was nuts with steelhead, my son and I had a blast.
I did well this past April also.

We are going up for the last week of October this year, for steelhead though.

 

[jifigz]

I've been to the Salmon River once. I think I'm good for my lifetime.

 

[hooker-of-men]

I've been to the Salmon River once. I think I'm good for my lifetime.

I tend to agree, but, on the other hand, when someone invites me for a day of fishing and says they're driving, I also tend to get in the truck.

 

[wildtrout2]

Don't they also get some BIG browns on the Salmon River?

 

[jifigz]

Don't they also get some BIG browns on the Salmon River?

Yes, they do.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Don't they also get some BIG browns on the Salmon River?

Yes, but I believe the lake run browns are scarce in SR compared to some other tribs, like Oswego River. I'd also venture to say the vast majority - if not all - are absolutely not natural reproduction.

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Yes do the fall nov dec steelhead at the salmon river...those steelhead are a diff beast then eries mutts although fun erie steelhead are really overgrown mutts domestics lol....salmon river steelhead are longer leaner fighting torpedoes that habitually run upstream lol. Great fighters and leapers

 

[SBecker]

You are fishing way too high up for Salmon. Why would you want to fish at the last section of river that those Salmon see, after getting snagged the whole way up the river? Pretty awful choice to do so. If you want any chance for a legit take, you need to be in the DSR.

 

[hooker-of-men]

You are fishing way too high up for Salmon. Why would you want to fish at the last section of river that those Salmon see, after getting snagged the whole way up the river? Pretty awful choice to do so. If you want any chance for a legit take, you need to be in the DSR.

It was considered. I haven't yet in my life paid to fish, and, if I ever do, I'd very much like to think it's not for this.

 

[SBecker]

It was considered. I haven't yet in my life paid to fish, and, if I ever do, I'd very much like to think it's not for this.

I hear ya.... but ya wasted more money in gas and day trip and did't fight a fish except for 10 seconds. I don't pay to fish private water, but DSR is a completely different animal. You want the freshest fish and best chances, and the least amount of Sh*th*ads you pony up. I don't agree with it, but it is what it is up there.

 

[jifigz]

I don't pay to fish private water, but DSR is a completely different animal.

Wait a second. So you've never actually been to the DSR, right? Because if you had, then you couldn't say you don't pay to fish private water. Or maybe you don't pay to fish private water often. Or maybe the DSR isn't private water. Or maybe..... I'm so confused.

I can't say I'm a fan of private water, but if I ever go up to the Salmon River again, that's probably what I'd do. But ...chances are I probably never will.

And I'm only busting your balls.

 

[SBecker]

Wait a second. So you've never actually been to the DSR, right? Because if you had, then you couldn't say you don't pay to fish private water. Or maybe you don't pay to fish private water often. Or maybe the DSR isn't private water. Or maybe..... I'm so confused.

I can't say I'm a fan of private water, but if I ever go up to the Salmon River again, that's probably what I'd do. But ...chances are I probably never will.

And I'm only busting your balls.

I think my intent is

Private Water: Exclusivity, Private Club, Yearly dues

DSR: Any Average Joe can pay $100 to fish it during salmon $60 for steel.

Other: Harmon's

 

[rustbeltwilds]

Even the dsr is a circus during SALMON season....yeah i agree with becker about a shot a less unharrased fish that low for the kings but remember most are lined or flossed anyway eeason i dont fish foe them mudsharks...now fish anywhere from dsr to altmar hatchery and in between during steelhead season for fish that actually hit and arent wasting away by the second and smell like kings do and need to be coaxed to hitting just aint fishing to me. But to each his own

 

[DO_inthewoods]

I was stopped by on August 31st before getting the goose opener up on the St. Lawrence. I figured I had the days off and hadn't been since the one time when I was young (grew up in the finger lakes)

I fished the trestle lot upstream through all the braids mainly trying to get resident browns if they existed.

Barely saw a soul but the water was super low and warmer. There were a handful of healthy salmon and I had two small fish on in the side streams.

I have similar thoughts to you, I don't like paying to fish but I think I'm going to try to do some Ontario steel once or twice this coming winter as it is a fun change of pace. There are a LOT of options from Rochester to Watertown

 

[CLSports]

Lake America Steel you mean.

 

[wildtrout2]

Lake America Steel you mean.

Never...

 

[JeffK]

Kings don't bite all that well on their spawning run and then mostly when they are fresher near the river's mouth. Since they die after spawning sex is their prime directive. The Salmon R has a fairly long estuary that the kings sit in for a while so there is a good chance that most fish you see will be pretty stale. The Sandys often have fresher kings because they have very short estuarys and the kings run in quickly. However, the low water of late may keep them out of these smaller streams.

I did kings once to see how powerful the fish are. Now I wait for steelies, but cohos are a blast if they are in. Browns and Atlantics are caught now and again, but are not consistent targets.