Port 09 of 11 · Oswego County
Pulaski & Mexico Bay fishing charters
The most famous salmon run in the eastern United States. The Salmon River is why a great many people know this lake exists at all. From mid-September into November, Chinook and coho push out of Mexico Bay and up the river in numbers that draw anglers from every state and several countries, and the town of Pulaski turns into something close to a festival.
The water
What Pulaski is good for
There are really two seasons, run by two different sets of guides. In August and early September, mature kings stage in Mexico Bay before committing to the river, and the trolling fleet works them in sixty to a hundred and twenty feet of water — this is big-water, big-fish, downrigger fishing, and it overlaps with the best of the Oswego bite.
Then the fish enter the river and everything changes. From September through November it is drift boats and waders, float rods, egg sacs, beads and flies, working named pools from Altmar down through the Lower Fly Zone and the Douglaston stretch to the estuary at Port Ontario. Steelhead move in behind the salmon and hold all winter, and the river fishes right through to April.
One practical detail that separates people who know this river from people who do not: flows are controlled by releases from the reservoir upstream, and the fishing changes completely between a low-water and a high-water day. Guides here plan around the release schedule, and it is a large part of what you are paying for.
How it's fished
The programmes that actually produce here, and when each one is worth booking.
Mexico Bay trolling
Riggers and copper in 60–120 FOW for staging Chinook, August into early September.
Drift boat
Floating the river from Altmar down, covering pools that bank anglers cannot reach. Salmon in autumn, steelhead from November.
Wade and float fish
Centrepin and float rods with egg sacs, beads and jigs, or fly tackle in the designated fly-only water.
What you'll catch
Species that hold at Pulaski, and the months they're at their best.
| Illustration | Species | Notes | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook Salmon | King · to 35 lb | Jul, Aug, Sep | |
| Coho Salmon | Silver · 6–15 lb | Aug, Sep | |
| Steelhead | Lake-run rainbow | Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec | |
| Brown Trout | Nearshore · to 20 lb | Apr, May | |
| Atlantic Salmon | Restoration fishery | May, Jun |
Full twelve-month picture across all species: the seasons guide.
Captains & guides — Pulaski & Mexico Bay
Listings for this port. Every charter is licence-verified before it appears.
Featured slot 1 of 2 — open
Top of this page, above every other listing, plus first call on every trip request for Pulaski & Mexico Bay.
$149/mo — see detailsFeatured slot 2 of 2 — open
Same placement, second position. Both slots sell as a pair or singly, month to month.
$149/mo — see detailsFree basic listings — open
If you run a boat for Pulaski & Mexico Bay, get your name on this page at no charge while we build the directory.
Claim a free listingThis week & what's coming
The current report as it applies to Pulaski, and the dates worth planning around.
Common questions
What people ask before they book Pulaski.
When is the salmon run at its peak?
Mid-September through late October, with the heaviest push usually in the first three weeks of October. Exact timing swings year to year with water temperature and rainfall.
How crowded does it actually get?
At peak, very. Combat fishing is a real phrase here. A guide, a weekday, or the Douglaston private stretch all buy you room, and November steelhead gives you the same river with a fraction of the people.
Should I book a drift boat or wade?
Drift boats reach water nobody can walk to and are the better choice for a first visit or a short trip. Wading is cheaper and works well once you know the river or have a guide walking you through it.
What is the deal with the water releases?
Flows are controlled by a reservoir upstream, and the river fishes very differently at different levels. Guides plan around the release schedule — it is one of the main reasons a local guide outperforms a visitor with the same tackle.
Fish Pulaski & Mexico Bay
Your request goes to captains covering this port with open dates in your window.