Freshwater Fishing & Boating News - Salmon River Edition

Salmon River Egg Take

DEC is closely monitoring the fall salmon run and flow conditions on the Salmon River to ensure adequate numbers of fish reach the hatchery for the annual fall egg take. With good numbers of fish that have already reached the hatchery, ample time for more to make their way up the river and rain in the forecast, DEC remains confident that the run will be strong enough to support their egg take needs. This time of year the river normally runs at 335 cubic feet per second (cfs) and is currently running at 185 cfs. Should the low water flows come into play as the egg take draws closer, DEC is poised with alternate options to ensure the continued success of the Pacific salmon program.

Wild about Salmon

Every fall Pacific (coho and Chinook) salmon migrate up the Salmon River to make the trip back to the hatchery where their life began, but not all these fish are hatchery fish. There’s actually a large amount of natural reproduction of Chinook salmon that takes place in the river. Wild Chinook, many of which are produced in the Salmon River, are an important component of the Lake Ontario fishery, contributing up to 70 percent of the Chinooks produced in a given year. Wild Chinook tend to spawn in the river, and most of the Chinook returning to the hatchery are of hatchery origin. The main stem of the Salmon River gets a bit warm in the summer for young salmon but Chinook hatch in May and are gone to Lake Ontario by the end of June. Successful reproduction of coho salmon (and steelhead) is largely limited to the cooler tributaries (Trout and Orwell Brooks) due to their longer river residence and requirement of year-round juvenile habitat.  

The Dead-Drift

Drift fishing is a technique where your bait is presented just off the stream bottom. An effective rig should move slightly less than the current speed and appear unattached. Do this by adding the least amount of weight to your line that's necessary to keep the bait near the bottom without it getting hung up. You should occasionally feel the weight “ticking” along the bottom. Hits can be detected by any slight tug on the line, hesitation, or upstream movement.

Popular baits while drift fishing include: salmon eggs and skein, single hook spinners and spoons, flies including glo bugs, and brightly colored streamers.

For more information on fishing for Chinook and coho salmon, visit the Pacific Salmon Fishing in Lake Ontario Tributaries webpage.

Fisheries Fact

On average, anglers catch approximately 140,000 Pacific salmon in Lake Ontario tributaries each fall. Smoke that!

DEC Announces Enforcement of New York's Plastic Bag Ban to Start Oct. 19, 2020

DEC will begin enforcement of the State’s ban on single-use plastic carryout bags on Oct. 19, 2020. The plastic bag ban, which went into effect on March 1, was not enforced per an agreement between the parties in a lawsuit brought by Poly-Pak Industries, Inc., et al, in New York State Supreme Court.

Pursuant to an Order of the New York State Supreme Court, Albany County, DEC agreed to provide the parties and the Court at least 30 days' notice prior to commencing enforcement. DEC is currently conducting extensive outreach to stakeholders, including grocery stores, retailers, and others, to provide notice of the start of enforcement and answer questions.

DEC continues to encourage New Yorkers to use reusable bags wherever and whenever they shop with the #BYOBagNY campaign, launched earlier this year. Additional information about exemptions to the plastic bag ban, frequently asked questions, and posters, flyers, and tip strips to download, as well as tips for keeping reusable bags clean are available on DEC's website.

For more information about the plastic bag ban, reusable bags, or to file a complaint about entities using single-use plastic carryout bags, visit DEC’s website, email plasticbags@dec.ny.gov, or call (518) 402-8706.