Yankee Angler Fishing Report – Steelhead.

Latest Salmon River Fishing Report & Live Conditions from Pulaski, NY

By Randy Jones – Professional Salmon River Guide with 35+ years of drift boat guiding experience and over 2,000 successful trips.

Welcome to the official Yankee Angler fishing report. Whether you are prepping your gear for float fishing, spin fishing, or fly fishing, this report provides real-time river conditions, seasonal updates, and expert strategy adjustments straight from the water in Pulaski, New York.
My goal is to give you a highly informative, educational look at the current movements of migratory Steelhead, and Trophy Brown Trout so you can Catch MORE Fish!

The Steelhead Fishing of your Dreams… We’ll mak’m reeeeeeeeeeel!
Best Fishes, Randy Jones — Owner, Publisher, & Pro Salmon River Guide at YankeeAngler.com

Yankee Angler Salmon River Fishing Report: Pulaski, NY

Last Updated: October 23, 2026

Steelhead Run Updates, Current Salmon River Conditions, Expert fishing tips, from 35-year Pro Guide Randy Jones.

October 23: The Salmon runs have slowed, with most on the gravel. And we are receiving good daily movements of Steelhead and Brown Tout, who are entering and running the river now. – Ye-haa!

Great News! – We have MANY MANY THOUSANDS of King and Coho Salmon in the Salmon River now. Providing you with excellent fishing. They are all spread out from the top to bottom of the river.

Currently: You will have plenty of opportunity, so it’s time to head on up!

What’s in the River Right Now?
We are seeing mostly King Salmon and Coho Salmon, with more Steelhead, Brown Trout, and a few Atlantic Salmon mixed in.

You will find them ALL utilizing these current break habitats:
1. In Transition: Actively running and resting briefly in the rapids.
2. Mid-Day Rest: Tucked into deep water pockets, runs, channels, and pools to beat the bright sun. Between approx. 9:30 AM. to 5:30 PM.
3.Prime Holding: With some holding in the deep pools.
4. And MANY Salmon are leaving the Pools now, and headed to the gravel to spawn.

EXCITING! – EXPLOSIVE! – Daily Salmon River Fishing Reports – Follow the ACTION!

9/14 was our first MAJOR RUN!
From 9/15 through 9/30: We were mostly hitting our normal numbers of daily Salmon entering the river, for this time of year.

Oct 1: Good run of 300+ King and Coho Salmon with some Steelhead and Brown trout in the mix.
AND
The run is in full swing! Little rain out side as of right now and some very very good reports of fish movement all over the river !
From the mouth of the river in 5-20 foot of water through the entire estuary and the majority of the river is just nothing but fish!
The next 2 weeks should be about as good as it gets. Credit – All Seasons Sports Inc.

October 3: We have GOOD numbers of King and Coho Salmon entering and running the river.

October 4: VERY GOOD numbers of Salmon. Providing GOOD TO EXCELLENT fishing in the bottom 3 miles of river with fresh running King and Coho Salmon.

Oct. 5: MAJOR RUN! – With a lot of low light this AM. provided by some WICKED heavy thunderstorms moving though. We received our 2nd MAJOR RUN of the season – GOOD TO EXCELLENT fishing continues in the bottom 3 miles of river.

Oct. 6: That MAJOR RUN is now going thru Town- Ball Park area and on its way to 2A. Good time to Leap frog that run! Still GOOD movement in the lower lower river today.

Oct. 7: GOOD numbers of fresh Salmon continue entering and running in the bottom 3 miles of river.

October 8 through Oct. 12: The Salmon runs continued daily.

Featured Video: Predicting Good Steelhead Runs

Discover the three environmental and biological triggers that cause thousands of migratory fish to push upriver simultaneously.
Maximize your skills by reading my expert secrets and tips in the descriptive text below the video.

Expert & Advanced YouTube Steelhead Guide:
Join the TOP 10% of Salmon River anglers who catch 90% of the Steelhead in Pulaski, NY!

Prepare for the Steelhead RUNS with these Masterclasses.
Maximize your skills by reading my expert secrets and tips in the descriptive text below each video.

1. Discover exactly where in the water column you should be fishing, along with the two prime habitats you need to focus on based on current water temperatures.
* Video: Steelhead Habitat & Water Column Secrets

2. Catch MORE Steelhead during the peak Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons.
* Video: Salmon River Steelhead Fishing: Best Times & Seasons Guide

It’s Time to Get Your FISH ON!

I hope you found this fishing report both entertainingly informative and mildly educational.
It is always a sincere pleasure sharing my 35 years of King Salmon and Steelhead experience with you.

Best Fishes,
Randy Jones — Salmon River Drift Boat Guide Service

More from Yankee Angler:

• Meet Randy Jones – Author, Publisher, and Full-Time Salmon River Guide.
• Real Angler Success Stories – See our client photos landing massive Salmon, Steelhead, and Brown Trout in Pulaski, NY!

Guided Salmon River Drift Boat Fishing

Join me in Pulaski, NY for an unforgettable trip targeting Steelhead or Salmon during the Fall, Winter, or Spring.

Established in 1980. I have 35 years of professional Salmon River drift boat guiding experience.
Drift Boat Rate: 1 person $350 | 2 people $450 total.
Trip includes: All spin fishing, float fishing, and fly fishing equipment, gear, and tackle.

BOOK Your Salmon River Drift Boat Fishing Trip in Pulaski, NY
(Click to view our rates and additional booking info)

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-315-963-2065
Address: Yankee Angler | Randy Jones 11 North Street, Unit 15, Mexico, NY 13114

Salmon River Fishing Guide Humor – Ever happen to you?

John told me a funny story about his wife and a 15 lb. Steelhead on the Salmon River.
Turns out that as John rushed for the net he ripped a big hole in his waders and cold water rushed in.
When he dove for the Steelhead with the net, he fell in. Causing more cold water to fill his waders.
When he tried to net the Steelhead for the third time he smashed his watch to pieces on a rock.
Steelhead was netted, picture was taken and Steelhead was released back into the River. I’m sure John’s wife was very appreciative of his efforts.

Did you know?
Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught.

BREAKING NEWS! – The State plans to stock more Steelhead and Salmon this year to help feed the Orcas in Lake Ontario.
If you lie about the size of your fish, I’ll swear to it!
There will be no fishing in the cemetery. So you better do your fishing now, while your still able.

TOP SECRET (edited) FISHING REPORT. – LOADED with Steelhead!
I went 3 for 6 on Steelhead @ (edited for content) in the afternoon. All were caught using (edited for content).
This morning I fished the (edited for content) and was 2 for 5 on Steelhead using (edited for content).
The last spot I fished was LOADED with Steelhead @ (edited for content). – har har.

Pulaski NY Fishing Photos & Videos | FUN STUFF!

• MONSTER FISH AWAIT YOU! See my clients TROPHY catches in the Salmon River Fish Photo Gallery.
• Salmon River Video Tour: Watch a quick video to Check Out My Drift Boat “Office”.
• Bungee Jumping Humor: I’m the first person to EVER bungee jump off the Long Bridge over the Salmon River in Pulaski, NY!

Quick Links & Resources:

• Salmon River Fishing Reports
• Salmon River Drift Boat Trips
• Salmon River Steelhead & Salmon Fishing Details
• Follow Yankee Angler on Facebook
• Watch Salmon River Fishing Videos

Salmon River Guide YouTube Habitat Series

This comprehensive Salmon River Habitat Series is built to educate, entertain, and inspire anglers of all skill levels to help you catch MORE fish!

Enjoy as we unpack pro-level strategies, and local fishing habitats.

1) See where the fish stop to rest at while running the Salmon River for only a Brief period of time.
Maximize your skills by reading my expert secrets and tips in the descriptive text below video.
* Video: Temporary Transitional Resting Spots

2) Find out where the fish hold during the Middle of the day, once they have stopped running the River.
From approx. 9:30 am until 5:30 pm. – (Skip the repeated Intro. @ 1:11).
Maximize your skills by reading my expert secrets and tips in the descriptive text below video.
* Video: Prime Transitional Holding Spots

3) Master how to fish deep pool current breaks, where steelhead and salmon stack up and hold for days, weeks, or months.
Maximize your skills by reading my expert secrets and tips in the descriptive text below video.
* Video: Deep Pool Current Breaks

4) Advanced Top Secrets Revealed: My Very Best Places to target Steelhead.
Maximize your skills by reading my expert secrets and tips in the descriptive text below video.
* Video: Expert Fishing Locations for Steelhead

5) Steelhead Fishing: Best Times & Seasons
Maximize your skills by reading my expert secrets and tips in the descriptive text below video.
* Video: Amazing Spring Steelhead Video

Watch the full tutorial breakdowns on our Salmon River Fishing Videos Page

Yankee Angler Fishing Report HUMOR | Pulaski, NY.

King – Coho Salmon Fish Tale? – 9/30/2026. Rare migratory whales and seals have been sighted off the mouth of the Salmon River in Pulaski, NY on Lake Ontario.

Why are you catching less King Salmon and Coho Salmon? Here might be the exact reason why. I managed to snap these pictures of a whale and a seal out in Lake Ontario, right in front of the mouth of the Salmon River. They were out there gorging themselves on YOUR King Salmon and Coho Salmon!

Joe: “Randy, quick Q for you. You would never on purpose pull our legs on here, now would you buddy?”

Randy: “Joe, what’s reeeeelly funny is, about 35 years ago was the first time I posted this joke in a Yankee Angler fishing report. A local shop back then actually got 10 phone calls from people asking about the seals and whales eating King Salmon and Coho Salmon in Lake Ontario! True story! On an unrelated note, I hear the local lobster and bluefin tuna fishing is pretty good right now too!”

Yankee Angler Fishing Report: Pro Guide TIPS for Steelhead and Salmon.

Catch MORE Trophy Fish using these exclusive insider strategies from the Yankee Angler fishing report.

Built on 35 years of professional guiding experience and over 2,000 successful Salmon River drift boat trips in Pulaski, NY, Master Guide Randy Jones shares his proven seasonal secrets.

Discover the exact tactics you need to hook more King Salmon, Coho, Brown Trout, and Steelhead during the peak Fall, Winter, Spring, and April transitions right here in Pulaski, New York.

Yankee Angler Salmon River High Water Steelhead & Salmon Fishing

Sometimes a high Salmon River water level spreads the steelhead or salmon out, while other times it concentrates them.

Your best bet is to fish behind any high-water current breaks or speed-of-water changes. Fish behind big boulders, on large current breaks, along the seams (where fast water meets slow water), and at the tails of deep pools where the current naturally slows down. We call these high-water spots.

On the Salmon River, we have low-water, medium-water, and high-water fishing spots. The fish constantly change where they hold according to the water level and its current breaks. When the steelhead and salmon change where they hold due to higher water flows, then so should you for the best results!

Fall Steelhead Fishing Pulaski NY | Warm Water (Above 43°F)

Most fall steelhead can be found in rippled, choppy water three to six feet deep or tucked directly into the rapids. Our steelhead do not show up in the deep pools until the water temperature drops below approximately 43 degrees.

Winter Salmon River Steelhead Fishing | Cold Water (Below 42°F)

Once the water drops below 42 degrees, most winter steelhead fishing shifts directly into the deeper pools. The fish target these areas for two critical biological reasons:

• Safety from Predators: Winter steelhead demand deep water to stay hidden.
• Energy Conservation: They seek out minimal current to conserve their energy in freezing water temperatures.

(You can easily find mapped, named pools, parking areas, and access roads by searching online, or you can pick up a physical map at some of our local Salmon River shops up here.)

Creeks, Streams, and Rivers | Winter into Spring

The end of February, March, and all of April can be absolute prime time for spring steelhead fishing. This window offers an amazing mix of leftover fall and winter steelhead alongside fresh runs of spring fish. Winter thaws and early spring rains trigger heavy spawning runs up the Salmon River.

When the main river runs high due to runoff, it is the perfect time to explore the many miles of local streams and creeks in our area. Ever tried to land a 10-pound steelhead in a tiny creek? It is not easy, but it is an absolute blast! Sight fishing is also an optional treat during this run.

Spring Steelhead Spawn & April Drop-Backs

(Drop-backs are steelhead that have successfully spawned in April. They are on their way back down the Salmon River to Lake Ontario, feeding aggressively along the way.)

What makes spring steelhead fishing so exciting at this time of year is that the April fish will be completely spread out across 100% of the river’s habitat—top to bottom and from bank to bank. Drop-back steelhead utilize all the standard current breaks for the active water levels, and the gravel flats will be absolutely exploding with fish!

Your best opportunity runs all spring until the final week of April. Once early May hits, focus your efforts on the lowest sections of the river for your best chances. Mother Nature ultimately decides the end of the season with lower water flows and warmer temperatures, sending the steelhead back down to Lake Ontario where they will return next year even BIGGER! Ye-Haa!

April Steelhead Fishing Tips

In April, the suckers begin their annual spawn. Try using yellow egg sacks, yellow glow bugs (flies), or beads to perfectly match their eggs because the steelhead gorge on them.

The April drop-backs will also be aggressively eating leftover steelhead eggs, so be sure to test those exact same color combinations (Cream-Peach-Orange) in sacks, flies, or beads when you are out on the water.

When the Salmon River Gets Flooded (Spring or Anytime)

When the main Salmon River is ripping and chocolate-colored—along with our other smaller local steelhead waters—a drive up to the headwaters or the first impassable fish barrier can save your day. These upper sections are often highly fishable due to less runoff and fewer tributary inputs.

Additionally, you can find excellent action by fishing the smaller tributaries that feed into the larger creeks, brooks, or streams, as they will actively hold steelhead in the spring when the main river is blown out.

Spring Steelhead Drop-Backs | Top Secret Yankee Angler Guide Tip

Posted for only you to read and no one else!

After the Salmon River Hatchery finishes collecting eggs from the returning steelhead in mid-April, keep your eyes on the calendar. Around April 15th, thousands of these steelhead are released from the holding tanks back into the river system.

They instantly turn into aggressive spring drop-backs, adding thousands of extra target fish to the river for your spring fishing pleasure!

I hope you found my “Yankee Angler fishing report Guide Tips” entertainingly informative or mildly educational. – May all Your door knobs smell of BIG Salmon and Steelhead!

For MORE — Salmon River Steelhead & Salmon Fishing Pulaski NY

“Salmon & Steelhead are suckers for fly fishing wares. They’ll hit on all types of flies right now on the Salmon River.”
— The Syracuse Post-Standard, by J. Michael Kelly

Fly Fishing for Salmon & Steelhead on the Salmon River

Fly fishing for King Salmon, Coho Salmon or Steelhead on the Salmon River isn’t as difficult as it appears to non-practitioners.
In fact, there are at least three effective ways to go about fly fishing for your Steelhead or Salmon. You can high stick-dead drift using a running line, rely on a strike indicator, or swing a few coneheads through your favorite Salmon River riffle.

And don’t worry about that burst of fly fishing jargon; translations are just a few sentences away.

Keep in mind that the 10- to 30-pound Chinook King Salmon, smaller but equally feisty Coho Salmon, and acrobatic Steelhead that swim up the Salmon River and other Lake Ontario feeder streams this time of year to spawn can be caught on many things.
They are especially vulnerable to artificial flies made of real fur and feathers, or synthetic fly materials such as tinsel and fake hair.

“They’ll hit all sorts of flies,” said Fran Verdoliva, a former Salmon River fishing guide who is now the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Salmon River program coordinator.

Verdoliva is partial to neon-bright, weighted streamer flies himself. But Mike DeTomaso, the manager of the White River fly fishing department at the Auburn Bass Pro Shops store, takes his share of salmon and steelhead on small artificial nymphs and fingernail-size yarn puffs called glo bug flies.

Additionally, Salmon River Pulaski NY steelhead and salmon fishing guide Randy Jones generally uses simple flies made of Estaz tinsel chenille.
These flies closely resemble nothing in nature, but they irritate salmon into hitting them by triggering their naturally ingrained territorial instincts and aggressive behavior patterns.
For steelhead he mostly uses egg imitations called Glow Bugs, as well as aquatic insect flies.

The three anglers employ different fishing methods and tackle, as well as radically diverse fly patterns.

Guide Randy Jones’ bread-and-butter method is high sticking-dead drifting using a running line. A running-line expert uses one or more split shot to quickly sink a fly in swift, deep water instead of a thick fly line that would retard the sinking rate. The method calls for a thin-diameter line that knifes through the water with minimal drag.

The running-line method is sometimes referred to as “chuck and duck” because its aficionados have to watch out for the split-shot missiles they’re slinging past their own ears.

Jones contends this fly fishing rig is perfect for the tumbling, white-water pools and pockets that are common throughout the Salmon River.

“The quicker your fly gets into the strike zone—for any species of fish, anywhere in the world—and the longer it stays there, the better your odds of catching some salmon or steelhead,” said Jones.
He hands his clients long rods and instructs them to raise the sticks high immediately after completing a cast. The angler should then follow the drift with the rod tip held high.
To facilitate a long drift and improve the odds of landing a hooked salmon, Jones employs either a standard 9-foot, 9- or 10-weight fly rod, or a two-handed, 13-foot spey-style rod.
His leaders usually have 2- to 4-foot-long tippets rated at 10-pound test.

Jones also enjoys traditional fly fishing, but adds that traditional methods work best in the shallows. With many of the holes on the Salmon River being 5 to 10 feet deep with heavy current, it helps to have your fly right on the bottom where most of the fish are, which vastly increases your odds of hooking up.
The running line technique is much more productive and can also be used in the shallows. It also takes just two seconds to learn, unlike other complex fly fishing methods.

DeTomaso likes spey rod fishing for steelhead and salmon, too. However, he attaches a bright orange plastic foam bobber onto the butt segment of his tapered leader and uses only one or two small split shot (either BBs or 3/0-size weights) to dangle the fly directly beneath the float, which serves as a strike indicator.

With the marble-size indicators he uses, DeTomaso can recognize the most subtle interference with his drifting fly.
Any sudden wiggle or wobble of the float may mean that the fly is merely stuck between two rocks, or it could be the start of an epic battle with a biting salmon or steelhead.

To put the fly in the exact spots where salmon and steelhead rest, DeTomaso relies on a spey rod or a 9-foot fly rod paired with a floating, tapered fly line.
Typically, only the lower half of his leader is allowed to sink during the drift. The leader butt and main fly line stay at the surface, making for a smooth pick-up and a quick repeat cast.

“I get a more natural drift with a strike indicator, and I also like the fact that I can use less weight than you do with the running line,” DeTomaso said.

Verdoliva has used both the indicator and running-line tactics to take fish, but now he is more apt to employ a weighted fly, a sinker-less leader, and a floating line.
This is especially true when he’s fishing water of medium depths and speeds on the Salmon River.

Traditionally, salmon flies were weighted with wraps of lead or copper wire around their shanks. But Verdoliva now has fly boxes full of streamers which sport barbell-shaped lead eyes or tungsten cones, often called coneheads, secured just behind the eyes of the size 2 or 4 hooks. These flies sink quickly but are more streamlined and easier to cast than the lead-wrapped patterns of yore.

“I guess you could say they’re fly fishing’s version of a jig,” said Verdoliva. If he has trouble getting one of his weighted flies to the bottom in a given spot, he either pinches a small BB shot on his leader (which is usually tapered to about a 12-pound tippet) or puts a short, quick-sinking piece of line called a shooting head between his fly line and the leader butt.

Reprinted with permission from The Syracuse Post-Standard.

Thumbs up from this Salmon River Fishing Guide with a Very Happy Steelhead Client.

The Steelhead and Salmon fishing of your dreams……………… we’ll mak’m reeeeeeeeeeeeeel

The Salmon River, where Memories are Made!

Join me for a guided drift boat fishing trip on the World Renowned Salmon River in Pulaski NY for hard fighting Salmon or Steelhead during our Fall, Winter and Spring.
Enjoy learning Advanced fishing techniques and Exact fish habitats. I always enjoy sharing my wealth of knowledge with all my guest’s.

Randy Jones is a Professional fishing guide with 35 years experience and over 2,000+ drift boat trips.
Salmon River Steelhead Drift Boat Rates for 1 person $350. Rates for 2 people $450 total.
Included in Rates – All Spin fishing, Float fishing and Fly fishing equipment, gear and tackle.

BOOK YOUR SALMON RIVER STEELHEAD DRIFT BOAT FISHING TRIP

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-315-963-2065

Address: Yankee Angler | Randy Jones 11 North Street, Unit 15, Mexico, NY 13114

Trips are 8 hours from the time we meet – 2 person Max. on boat. – Please bring your own Lunch, Polarized Glass’s and Chest Waders. – Final payment preferred in cash. – Fishing License and Chest Waders required. – Please make your local lodging reservation A.S.A.P. – Spikes, Korkers, cleats or chains are ok in the Boat.

Reservation and Deposits – Your Reservation is confirmed upon receipt of a $150 Check deposit (per day). It MUST be received within 7 business days from time of Booking.
Check payable and Mailed too: – Randy Jones 11 North Street, Unit 15, Mexico, NY 13114. (Sorry, no credit cards excepted).
I’ll confirm receipt of Deposit with you by email.

Then 1 to 2 Months before your fishing trip, I’ll email you with meeting time and place. Usually Whitakers Sports Shop and Motel (Rt. 13 in Pulaski) in the dark.

Author Biography – Established in 1980.
Yankee Angler | Randy Jones 11 North Street, Unit 15, Mexico, NY 13114 (315) 963-2065.
Randy Jones has 35 years of Professional Fishing Guide Experience. He is also the Owner, Author and Publisher of Salmon River Fishing Reports of YankeeAngler.com. A Salmon River Pulaski NY based Guide Service and Marketing Agency. Specializing in Expert Salmon and Steelhead fishing. Professional sales and marketing of his vastly successful Salmon River fishing guide business and local fishery.
S.E.O. and Social Media.

Distributed World Wide Books: Simon Gawesworth, Spey Casting, First and also Second Editions. Rich Murphy, Fly Fishing for Striped Bass.
Covers, feature articles and guide profiles: Saltwater Fly Fishing Magazine, Fly Fishing in Saltwater Magazine, Albany, Syracuse, Utica and N.Y. Times Newspapers, N.Y. Sportsmen, N.Y. Fishing and Hunting and Salmon River Success Magazines.
Many World Wide Internet Fishing Sites and News Feeds.
Paid featured guest speaker at numerous Sports Shows, Fresh and Saltwater fishing.
Guest speaker at most Trout Unlimited Chapters, fly tying, tackle and Orvis shops around New England and beyond.
Represented the Orvis Corporation as a guide and chief instructor of their 2 1/2 day Cape Cod Saltwater Fly fishing Schools.
(P.S. I don’t discriminate. I also enjoy guiding you spin anglers too! – yukyuk)