Top 5 Salmon Fishing Spots in New York State

NEW YORK – New York City may bring to mind skyscrapers and traffic congestion. However, her state boasts world-class fisheries – one of which is the Salmon River, which provides habitat for chinook salmon and rainbow trout. Lake Ontario is another prime place for salmon fishing, with May through October being peak season. Oak Orchard in Western New York is also a popular destination for hunters looking for success.

1. Salmon River

The Salmon River is a stunningly wild river that offers world-class fishing opportunities. It features exhilarating serpentine slopes, huge white sand beaches, and deep green pools filled with foamy water cushions that create amazing scenes for fishing enthusiasts. The river provides abundant fisheries, including salmon and trout. Additionally, its habitat supports river otters and bald eagles, making this riverside habitat essential to the culture of many Native American tribes.

2. Oswego River

New York State has more beaches per acre than some island states, providing anglers with great fishing opportunities – especially salmon migrating from the ocean to freshwater spawning areas along the Oswego River! Starting in early fall, the Oswego River offers schools of Chinook salmon up to 10 pounds that are an excellent target for fishing with flashers, cut bait or spawning imitations. This makes for an exciting fishing adventure!

3. Black River

Anglers will find plenty of fish along this long and winding river—known as one of the state’s large walleye factories—both the upper and lower reaches can catch large specimens here. In addition, it is an excellent destination for kayakers and canoeists. The river begins as a narrow stream that heads west through an area of ​​northern hardwood conifer forest before eventually turning south. While the lower stretches are usually navigable, conditions can become dangerous during low water levels.

4. South Sandy Creek

South Sandy Creek in the town of Ellsburg, Jefferson County is an annually stocked tributary of Lake Ontario that flows from Tug Hill west through the village of Ellsburg before emptying into its waters. Fall provides exceptional fishing opportunities when water temperatures drop and steelhead migrate upstream to spawn, providing a less crowded fishery that provides opportunities for drift fishing or bottom jigging techniques that produce excellent results in this section of the Salmon River.

5. Lower Niagara River

The Niagara River serves as the natural border between the United States and Canada, and offers excellent salmon fishing opportunities on both sides. Because more water enters Lake Ontario through this river than through any of its tributaries, the Niagara River is ground zero for fall Chinook and coho salmon. The Lower Niagara River offers anglers ample opportunities to catch lake trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, muskellunge, and walleye, depending on the season. Access points include Whirlpool State Park, Devil’s Hole State Park, and Lewiston’s New York Power Authority fishing pier – offering anglers a year-round opportunity – with November through April being prime months for fishing this river.

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