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Fishing Salmon River: what the data says
Altmar to the Lake Ontario estuary. the East's great salmon and steelhead river. The river tops out around 8 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Chinook Salmon fishing at Salmon River
Spring chinook salmon on Salmon River hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. The spot to know is Lowhead weir tailrace, a dam tailrace in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a flasher + fly (green/white) or a magnum spoon on downrigger gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (orange/gold), Stickbait off planer boards |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Flasher + fly (green/white), Magnum spoon on downrigger |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | J-plug (glow), Flasher + fly |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Small spoon on a slow troll, Stickbait deep |
Coho Salmon fishing at Salmon River
Spring coho salmon on Salmon River hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Lowhead weir tailrace: a dam tailrace around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + fly or a medium spoon above the thermocline gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Small orange dodger + peanut fly, Thin spoon (orange/silver) |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + fly, Medium spoon above the thermocline |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Spinner (chartreuse) |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Small spoon, slow troll |
Steelhead fishing at Salmon River
In spring, steelhead run shallow here, mostly 1 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 8 ft. Lowhead weir tailrace is the standout, a dam tailrace at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring steelhead. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Tie on a orange dodger + fly high in the column or a thin spoon off boards and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Small spoon or spinner at the mouths, Jig + waxworm under float |
| Summer | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Orange dodger + fly high in the column, Thin spoon off boards |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinner (silver/blue), Casting spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | midday | Float jig (black/purple), Bead rig |
Brown Trout fishing at Salmon River
Spring brown trout on Salmon River hold shallow, usually 1 to 8 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 8 ft, and winter fish hold in 1 to 8 ft. Lowhead weir tailrace is the standout, a dam tailrace at roughly 7 ft, rated prime for spring brown trout. Best bite is after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Notable structure
- Town Pool (Pulaski): creek channel, around 7 ft
- Lowhead weir tailrace: dam tailrace, around 7 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 2.8): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 5.0): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Outside-bend hole (mile 6.9): creek channel, around 6 ft
- Tailout eddy (mile 0.3): eddy pocket, around 4 ft
- Riffle & run (mile 12.5): rock pile, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Salmon River?
Salmon River is about 8 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Salmon River?
Anglers target chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, brown trout on Salmon River.
Where is the best fishing spot on Salmon River?
Lowhead weir tailrace is the top-rated area: a dam tailrace in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for chinook salmon in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Salmon River?
For chinook salmon, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Lake Ontario - Henderson Harbor and Golden Crescent · Lake Ontario - Oswego and Mexico Bay · Cross Lake · Cazenovia Lake · Otisco Lake · Skaneateles Lake
See how Salmon River stacks up: best chinook salmon lakes in New York · best steelhead lakes in New York · best brown trout lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.