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Salmon River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Pulaski’s legend: the Salmon River stacks Great Lakes kings, coho and steelhead thicker than any tributary in the East.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
236 cfs
Air / High
75 / 76 F
Wind
W 10 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 04250200, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Salmon River lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. The river is running 236 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind W around 10 mph, rising pressure near 1013 hPa and a high of 76. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown troutGood

Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

SteelheadSlow

First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Tomorrow: Similar at 73 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Salmon River at Pineville.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 04250200.

239252265236 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp75 F
High / Low76 / 60 F
WindW 10-14 mph
Pressure1013.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain5% cloud, 4%
Sunrise / Sunset06:32 / 19:35
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 76/60 F, wind 13 mph, rain 4%

Fair or better. A 13 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Salmon River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Steelhead illustration

Steelhead

Best: Oct-Apr

Lake-run rainbows that turn tributaries into winter fisheries. First fall runs after rain: fresh chrome in the lower pools on spawn bags and beads.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Terrestrials tight to the bank; streamers through the deeper runs on cloudy days.

When to come: the Salmon River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Steelhead
Smallmouth bass
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Salmon River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 79 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 15 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 77 F, wind to 11 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

New York requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

New York license. Snagging is prohibited, gear and season rules are strictly enforced, and fly-fishing-only sections have specific boundaries: read current DEC Salmon River regulations carefully.

Access

Free state access at Pineville, Altmar and Route 52; Douglaston Salmon Run (fee) on the lower river; hatchery access at Altmar.

About this water

A 17-mile Lake Ontario tributary through Pulaski, Oswego County, New York: the East’s premier Chinook, coho and steelhead river.

Fishing Salmon River: the full guide

The Great Lakes machine

The Salmon River runs 17 miles from the Lighthouse Hill reservoir to Lake Ontario at Port Ontario, and from September through April it hosts the densest salmonid runs in the eastern United States. Chinook salmon arrive in September in numbers that fill every pool, coho follow, and steelhead: the real prize: hold from October clear through April, joined by brown trout and Atlantic salmon. Pulaski’s economy runs on it, and so do the crowds.

Salmon season, then the good part

The king run peaks late September into October: heavy tackle, egg sacs and flies drifted through pools, with combat-fishing etiquette that visitors should learn before arriving. When the salmon finish and the crowds thin, the real fishery opens: steelhead spread through the whole river from November through April, eating eggs, beads, jigs and swung flies in water that stays open thanks to guaranteed minimum releases from the reservoir.

Fly-fishing-only and the flows

Two designated fly-fishing-only sections (upper and lower) offer relief from the crowds and superb swing water. Releases are scheduled and published: 185 cfs is the common winter flow, with higher recreational releases in summer and after rain. Higher water spreads fish and improves the swing; low, clear winter water demands finesse, small beads and long leaders. Ice-up and February thaws concentrate steelhead in the deep pools.

Pulaski practicalities

Access is everywhere: the Douglaston Salmon Run (private, day fee, no crowds) on the lower river, the free state access points at Pineville, Altmar and the Route 52 bridges, and the Salmon River Fish Hatchery at Altmar. Book lodging early for October. Winter steelheading here requires cleated boots, layered wading and an appetite for cold: the reward is chrome fish in double-digit numbers on a good day.

Common questions

When should I fish for steelhead?

November through April. December and March are the sweet spots: good numbers, fewer anglers than the salmon run and fresh chrome after every thaw.

How crowded is the salmon run?

Shoulder to shoulder in the famous pools during late September. If crowds bother you, fish the fly-only water, the Douglaston run, or wait for steelhead season.

What flow is best?

The standard 185 cfs fishes fine for wading and drifting; 335 cfs and up spreads fish out and favors swinging flies from a boat or the bigger runs.

Is fishing good at Salmon River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Oswego River20 miOneida Lake27 miOtisco Lake47 miOwasco Lake53 miCayuga Lake67 miSeneca Lake72 mi
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