Salmon River

About 2.5 miles of the lower river from west of Pulaski down toward the estuary, privately owned and run on a capped paid day-permit (roughly $50 in season, catch-and-release for trout and Atlantic salmon, river cleats required after Nov 1). A dozen named holes — Coho Hole, Black Hole, The Glide, Sycamore, The Flats — hold the first fresh-run Chinook, coho salmon, steelhead, and lake-run brown trout above the lake, in uncrowded water widely considered some of the best on the river.

Best for: Fresh-run Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, and brown trout in uncrowded private water

The weedy, slow braids where the river meets Lake Ontario at Port Ontario, holding staging salmon and steelhead before they push upstream. Mostly fished from small boats near Selkirk Shores — the first and last water for Chinook salmon and steelhead moving between the lake and the river.

Best for: Staging Chinook salmon and steelhead at the Lake Ontario mouth, mostly from small boats

The downtown pools — the Haldane area, Dunbar/Ball Field Pool, the deep and notoriously crowded Short Bridge (Town) Pool, Long Bridge/Staircase Pool, and the long Black Hole bend below the sewer plant. The easiest access on the river and the heaviest crowds: shoulder-to-shoulder combat nymphing for Chinook, coho salmon, and steelhead at the peak of the run.

Best for: Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead on combat nymphing in easy-access town pools

The middle river through the Sportsman's Pool, Glass Hole, the Compactor Pool (first pool out of town with a dedicated lot and a drift-boat pull-out), Papermill and Railroad Bridge pools, and the I-81 bridge water. It carries the full run — Chinook and coho salmon in fall, steelhead and lake-run brown trout behind them — on nymph and egg rigs and streamers, both waded and drifted.

Best for: The full run of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, and brown trout on nymph/egg rigs and streamers

The classic upper-river run of named pools — School House Pool in Altmar, Wire Holes, Ellis Cove, the large deep Trestle Pool near the Orwell Brook confluence, the Pineville Pool at the CR-48 bridge, and Refrigerator Pool. First holding water for the fall push of Chinook salmon and the steelhead stacked in behind them; fished with indicator nymphing, chuck-and-duck, and swung flies. Wade primarily, drift boats at higher release.

Best for: Chinook salmon and steelhead in the upper named pools on indicator nymph and swung-fly rigs

A short, steeper reach of fast pocket water running from a marked boundary above the NYS Salmon River Fish Hatchery up to the Lighthouse Hill tailrace at the top of the river. Fly-fishing only and catch-and-release, open April 1 – November 30 — the clean-water option for steelhead and lake-run brown trout on egg and nymph rigs and swung flies, away from the salmon-run combat downstream.

Best for: Steelhead and brown trout on egg/nymph rigs and swung flies in fly-only, catch-and-release water

A quarter-mile fly-fishing-only, catch-and-release stretch running upstream from the County Route 52 bridge in Altmar to a marked boundary at Beaverdam Brook, open September 15 – May 15. Traditional fly tackle only — steelhead and brown trout on eggs, nymphs, and swung streamers for anglers who want to keep it clean during the run.

Best for: Steelhead and brown trout on eggs and swung streamers in fly-only, catch-and-release water