SALMON RIVER
Five minutes from one of the largest king salmon runs in the Great Lakes
Kings, coho and steelhead from September through March — and a live read on the river before you load the truck.
LIVE · SALMON RIVER
—
CFS
READING…
Live flow, water conditions and the four-day rain outlook.
FULL RIVER REPORT →
Flow, gauge height, rainfall and the four-day push outlook, straight from the Pineville gauge — see the full river report.
THE BIG FISH BOARD
Caught while staying here
Every fish our guests send us goes on this wall. Biggest of the season takes the top spot, and a gift card from a shop up the road.
SEASON LEADER
First catch of the season goes here
First name, species, weight and the week they were here. No last names and no spot burning — we never publish where a fish came from.
SUBMIT A CATCH
Stayed with us and landed one?
Send the photo, the species and the weight. We post it with your first name and the date, and the biggest fish of the season takes the top of this page until someone beats it.
EMAIL US YOUR FISH
MONTH BY MONTH
What is running, and how busy it gets
Every guide will tell you when the fish arrive. Almost nobody tells you how many people arrive with them. Run timing moves a week either way with rain, but these windows hold most years.
SEPTEMBER
BUSY
Kings arrive
First fish push in mid-month, usually behind a good rain. Water is still low and clear early on. Fills up fast after that rain, but there is room to move between holes, and the fish are fresher than October.
OCTOBER
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER
Kings and coho, peak
The busiest weeks of the year on this river. Be on the water before light or accept the spot you are given. Book lodging months ahead, or look hard at November instead.
NOVEMBER
QUIET
The turnover — steelhead in
Salmon are spent, steelhead are in, and the parking lots empty almost overnight. The best ratio of fish to people all year, and the most underrated week here is the one right after the crowd leaves.
DEC — MARCH
YOU AND THE RIVER
Winter steelhead
Cold, quiet and the best value of the season. Chrome fish in water you can have to yourself on a weekday — you may not see another angler. Dress for real Tug Hill winter and bring a thermos.
APRIL — MAY
QUIET
Drop-backs
Steelhead heading back to the lake, hungry and aggressive, on high snowmelt water. A short window locals love and visitors rarely book.
JUNE — AUGUST
EMPTY
The off-season
Low warm water and little moving upstream. People come now for the lake, the trails and the quiet. Cheapest time of the year to be here.
FROM THE CABIN DOOR
How long to the water
8
MIN
Altmar fly zone
Catch-and-release fly water right up the road. The closest fishing to the cabin, and where to go if you only have a morning.
22
MIN
Douglaston Salmon Run
Two and a half miles of private lower river with a day fee on top of your licence. The best-managed water on the system and worth it in October.
SORT THESE OUT BEFORE YOU DRIVE
LICENCE
New York freshwater licence
Required for everyone sixteen and up. Buy it online before you leave home — do not leave it for the morning.
FIRST TRIP
Book one guided day
This river rewards local knowledge more than most. A single guided day saves a wasted weekend, and you will fish the rest of the week better for it.
Check the flow at the top of this page before you load the truck. The Lighthouse Hill release sets the whole day — 335 cfs is the low baseline, and anything over about 750 changes where you can safely wade.
LOCAL INTEL
Who we send our guests to
We are not guides and we will not pretend to be. These are the people we actually call. Ask us when you book and we will make the introduction.
GUIDE
A drift boat day
If it is your first trip, this is the money well spent. Tell us what you are after and how many of you there are, and we will point you at the guide we trust and let them know you are coming.
TACKLE
Flies, beads and honest advice
One shop up the road gets all our guests, and they will tell you what is actually working this week rather than what they need to move. Mention where you are staying.
BEFORE LIGHT
Breakfast at 5am
There is exactly one place that opens early enough to matter in October. It is in the welcome book on the counter, with the hours that are true in season.
AT THE CABIN
Waders, gear and the trailer
Somewhere to hang soaked waders so they are dry by morning, room to park a boat trailer, and a spot outside to clean a fish. Ask us for specifics before you book if it matters to your trip.
RUN ALERT
We will email you when the fish are in
One email when the flow bumps and the first push comes through. Not a newsletter, no schedule — only when it is worth driving up. Two or three a season.
SEPT — APRIL · UNSUBSCRIBE ANY TIME
WHAT GUESTS SAY
“Your luxurious cabin is just that, luxurious. You put a lot of thought into this place and it shows. The place was immaculate and very comfortable. Very private — see you next salmon run.”
DAVID · BOOKING.COM 10/10 · OCTOBER 2024
CHECK-IN 3:00 PM · CHECK-OUT 11:00 AM
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