Best chinook salmon lakes in New York
5 New York waters hold chinook salmon. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The king. Deep, cold open water all summer; staged off river mouths in fall. Follows the 42-52°F band.
- Lake Ontario — Oswego and Mexico Bay — 630 ft max · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Lake Trout
- Lake Ontario — Niagara Bar and Western Shore — 584 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Perch, Chinook Salmon
- Lake Ontario — Rochester Shore — 723 ft max · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Lake Trout
- Salmon River — 8 ft max · Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead, Brown Trout
- Niagara River (Lower) — 40 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Chinook Salmon, Steelhead
When to fish chinook salmon in New York
- Spring 5–40 ft — Cold surface water lets kings feed shallow — warm-water pockets near river mouths and the first drop-off hold bait and fish.
- Summer 50–120 ft — Kings ride the 42-52°F band well below the thermocline — deep basins and steep structure where bait schools stack.
- Fall 10–50 ft — Spawning-run fish stage off tributary mouths before running the rivers — the year's best big-fish window.
- Winter 30–90 ft — Immature kings winter deep and scattered; a slow deep troll finds loners.
Also in New York: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best steelhead lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best landlocked salmon lakes · best chain pickerel lakes · best rock bass lakes · best white perch lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes
Chinook Salmon elsewhere: Michigan · Washington · Alaska