Winter Steelhead in New York: River Run Timing and Flows

Q: Which New York rivers have winter steelhead?

The rivers New York DEC names with steelhead in the river between December and April include the Salmon River, Oswego River, Genesee River, Oak Orchard Creek, Irondequoit Creek, Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara County), Black River, Lower Niagara River and 5 more. Each one is listed below with its agency timing and the source sentence.

Q: When is the peak of the steelhead run in New York?

New York DEC gives these peaks: fall run steelhead: Late Oct to Nov; spring spawning and drop back: Mid Mar to late Apr; Salmon River: Late Oct to Nov; Oswego River: Late Oct to Nov; Genesee River: Late Oct to Nov; Oak Orchard Creek: Late Oct to Nov. Rain and water temperature move the week from one year to the next, which is why the live gauge readings sit beside the table.

Q: Where is the New York steelhead fishing report?

New York DEC publishes the Lake Erie and Western New York Fishing Hotline (weekly), the Management Plan for Lake Erie Tributary Steelhead 2026 to 2035 and the Salmon River Fish Hatchery (annual). All are linked below.

Q: Which New York steelhead rivers get hatchery fish?

New York DEC records hatchery releases or returns on the Salmon River, Cattaraugus Creek, Chautauqua Creek, Canadaway Creek, Eighteenmile Creek (Erie County) and Walnut Creek.

Q: How high is the Salmon River running today?

The rivers table reads the latest discharge and water temperature straight from USGS for 12 New York steelhead rivers with a USGS discharge gauge, the Salmon River among them, and sets each flow beside the gauge's median for today's date from its full record.

Q: Is the steelhead run the same as the fishing season in New York?

No. A run window is when the fish move, and it is biology. Seasons, licences and river closures are set by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and change inside a year; its current regulations are linked beside the rivers table.

Q: Are New York steelhead native?

Great Lakes steelhead are a stocked and naturalized fish. New York DEC writes that steelhead have been stocked in Lake Erie since the late 1800s and, though not native to the system, are now a naturalized part of its fish community. In New York, New York DEC describes fall run steelhead Sep 15 to Nov 30, winter fish Dec 1 to Feb 28 and spring spawning and drop back Mar 15 to May 15.

Rivers and flows

New York steelhead rivers, run timing and flow today

Each river below is one New York State Department of Environmental Conservation names for steelhead, with the timing it gives and the sentence it came from. Beside it, the latest discharge from the river’s USGS gauge and the median discharge for today’s date across that gauge’s years of record, so a reading of 150% means the river is carrying half again its usual flow for the day. 5 of the gauges also report water temperature.

New York steelhead rivers named by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, with the latest USGS discharge and water temperature and the median discharge for today’s date over each gauge’s record.
River	Run timing	Hatchery	Flow now	Median for today	Water temp
Salmon RiverLake Ontario Home of the DEC's Salmon River Fish Hatchery at Altmar, which takes its steelhead eggs from late March to early April and stocks 750,000 yearlings a year across the state. New York DEC source USGS gauge 04250200	Mid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to NovPeak: Late Oct to Nov	Hatchery fish	Loading	Loading	Discharge only at this gauge
Oswego RiverLake Ontario Listed by DEC among the Lake Ontario tributaries with public access for steelhead; flow is set by the dams upstream. New York DEC source USGS gauge 04249000	Mid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to NovPeak: Late Oct to Nov	See the note	Loading	Loading	Discharge only at this gauge
Genesee RiverLake Ontario The Rochester tributary DEC lists for Lake Ontario steelhead. New York DEC source USGS gauge 04231600	Mid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to NovPeak: Late Oct to Nov	See the note	Loading	Loading	Loading
Oak Orchard CreekLake Ontario A western Lake Ontario tributary on DEC's steelhead access list. New York DEC source USGS gauge 0422018610	Mid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to NovPeak: Late Oct to Nov	See the note	Loading	Loading	Loading
Irondequoit CreekLake Ontario A Monroe County tributary on DEC's Lake Ontario steelhead access list. New York DEC source USGS gauge 0423205010	Mid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to NovPeak: Late Oct to Nov	See the note	Loading	Loading	Loading
Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara County)Lake Ontario Listed by DEC as 18 Mile Creek among the Lake Ontario steelhead tributaries. New York DEC source USGS gauge 04219768	Mid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to NovPeak: Late Oct to Nov	See the note	Loading	Loading	Loading
Black RiverLake Ontario The eastern basin river DEC lists first among its Lake Ontario steelhead tributaries. New York DEC source USGS gauge 04260500	Mid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to NovPeak: Late Oct to Nov	See the note	Loading	Loading	Discharge only at this gauge
Lower Niagara RiverLake Ontario DEC includes the lower Niagara among its Lake Ontario steelhead waters. New York DEC source	Mid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to NovPeak: Late Oct to Nov	See the note	Run timing from New York DEC, with the note and source beside it.
Cattaraugus CreekLake Erie The largest of the Erie tributaries, stocked with 60,000 yearlings a year, the coldest, a magnet for strays, and the creek with the most wild fish. New York DEC source USGS gauge 04213500	Mid Oct to Apr (as early as mid Sep)	Hatchery fish	Loading	Loading	Loading
Chautauqua CreekLake Erie One of the four Erie tributaries DEC calls most popular with steelhead anglers, stocked with 25,000 yearlings a year. New York DEC source USGS gauge 04213319	Mid Oct to Apr (as early as mid Sep)	Hatchery fish	Loading	Loading	Discharge only at this gauge
Canadaway CreekLake Erie A Fredonia creek among DEC's four main Erie steelhead tributaries, stocked with 10,000 yearlings. New York DEC source USGS gauge 04213376	Mid Oct to Apr (as early as mid Sep)	Hatchery fish	Loading	Loading	Discharge only at this gauge
Eighteenmile Creek (Erie County)Lake Erie The northernmost of DEC's main Erie tributaries, stocked with 20,000 yearlings a year. New York DEC source USGS gauge 0421422210	Mid Oct to Apr (as early as mid Sep)	Hatchery fish	Loading	Loading	Discharge only at this gauge
Walnut CreekLake Erie A small Erie tributary stocked with 5,000 steelhead yearlings, with very limited public access per DEC. New York DEC source USGS gauge 04213401	Mid Oct to Apr (as early as mid Sep)	Hatchery fish	Loading	Loading	Discharge only at this gauge

Run calendar

When steelhead are in New York rivers

The months New York DEC gives for each river, laid on a July to June year so a winter run reads as one bar. The statewide winter run is Dec 1 to Feb 28. Rain and water temperature move the weeks inside those months from one year to the next.

Salmon RiverLake OntarioMid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to Nov
Oswego RiverLake OntarioMid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to Nov
Genesee RiverLake OntarioMid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to Nov
Oak Orchard CreekLake OntarioMid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to Nov
Irondequoit CreekLake OntarioMid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to Nov
Eighteenmile Creek (Niagara County)Lake OntarioMid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to Nov
Black RiverLake OntarioMid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to Nov
Lower Niagara RiverLake OntarioMid Sep to Apr, best late Oct to Nov
Cattaraugus CreekLake ErieMid Oct to Apr (as early as mid Sep)
Chautauqua CreekLake ErieMid Oct to Apr (as early as mid Sep)
Canadaway CreekLake ErieMid Oct to Apr (as early as mid Sep)
Eighteenmile Creek (Erie County)Lake ErieMid Oct to Apr (as early as mid Sep)
Walnut CreekLake ErieMid Oct to Apr (as early as mid Sep)

Fall run steelhead
Winter fish
Spring spawning and drop back
Nov, the current month

New York steelhead months by river, from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Fish in the river across Sep to Apr.

The runs, in New York DEC’s words

Fall run steelhead, Sep 15 to Nov 30, peak Late Oct to Nov. Washington strain steelhead start trickling into the Lake Ontario tributaries in mid September, and late October through November, before the water drops below about 40 F, is the height of the fall run. Late October thru November, before water temperatures get cooler than 40 degrees F, is typically one of the best times to fish for Washington steelhead in the tributaries. Source
Winter fish, Dec 1 to Feb 28. Once the streams fall into the 30s the run slows, though a thaw still pulls fresh fish in through January and February. As water temperatures drop into the 30's, the run will slow considerably; however brief warming periods will bring new fish into the tributaries throughout the winter months of January and February. Source
Spring spawning and drop back, Mar 15 to May 15, peak Mid Mar to late Apr. Spawning runs from mid March to late April, and spent fish dropping back to the lake stay in some tributaries into mid May. Spawning usually begins in Mid-March and continues through late April. Source

Water temperature and the run

By mid-October the run has intensified as the water temperatures of the streams drop to the optimum range of 45-58 degrees F for migration.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Mist lifting off a wide river on a cold grey morning, bare and yellowing trees on both banks and a bridge faint in the distance — Mist on the Salmon River in New York on an October morning. The Lake Ontario tributaries take their first steelhead in fall, and fish keep entering through the winter into spring. “Can you tell how cold it must be on the salmon river - panoramio” by Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0

Reports

New York steelhead reports and counts

Where New York DEC publishes the current picture: fishing reports, weir and hatchery counts, and creel surveys, each with how often it is updated.

Lake Erie and Western New York Fishing HotlineNew York DEC, fishing report, weeklyThe fishing hotline can also be heard at 716-855-3474.
Management Plan for Lake Erie Tributary Steelhead 2026 to 2035New York DEC, creel
Salmon River Fish HatcheryNew York DEC, hatchery return, annualSteelhead: late March through early April

A person in waders and a knit cap crouching in brown river water, holding a bright silver steelhead with a pink cheek low at the surface — A steelhead from a Lake Erie tributary in late November, kept low in the water. Steelhead are not native to the Great Lakes; New York has stocked them in Lake Erie since the late 1800s, and they run up tributaries from the lakes in fall, winter and spring. “Great Lakes Steelhead” by ColtonOrbaker, CC BY-SA 3.0

Elsewhere

Steelhead run timing in other states

Questions about New York steelhead

When do steelhead run in New York?

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation describes fall run steelhead from Sep 15 to Nov 30, heaviest Late Oct to Nov; winter fish from Dec 1 to Feb 28; spring spawning and drop back from Mar 15 to May 15, heaviest Mid Mar to late Apr. Washington strain steelhead start trickling into the Lake Ontario tributaries in mid September, and late October through November, before the water drops below about 40 F, is the height of the fall run.

Which New York rivers have winter steelhead?

When is the peak of the steelhead run in New York?

Where is the New York steelhead fishing report?

Which New York steelhead rivers get hatchery fish?

How high is the Salmon River running today?

Is the steelhead run the same as the fishing season in New York?

Are New York steelhead native?

River timing from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation pages, each linked beside its river. Flow, water temperature and the daily median from the USGS Water Services. Compiled September 21, 2026.

New York salmon run timingThe chinook and coho runs on the same rivers, in the months before the steelhead.New York trout stockingThe same species as a freshwater fish, stocked on a schedule.New York river levelsEvery USGS gauge in the state against its own record for the date.