Port 09 of 11 · Oswego County, NY · Lake America (Lake Ontario)
Pulaski & Mexico Bay fishing charters
The Salmon River at Pulaski has the best-known salmon run in the eastern United States. For many anglers, it's the reason they know the lake at all. From mid-September into November, Chinook and coho run out of Mexico Bay and up the river, and anglers come from every state and several countries to fish it. During the run, the town of Pulaski fills up.
The water
What Pulaski is good for
Pulaski has two seasons, and different guides fish each one. In August and early September, mature kings stage in Mexico Bay before they run up the river. The trolling fleet fishes them with downriggers in 60 to 120 feet of water, at the same time as the best of the Oswego bite.
Once the fish enter the river, drift boats and waders take over from the trolling boats. From September through November, anglers use float rods with egg sacs, beads and flies. They fish named pools from Altmar down through the Lower Fly Zone and the Douglaston stretch to the estuary at Port Ontario. Steelhead follow the salmon in and stay all winter, and the river fishes well through April.
Releases from a reservoir upstream set the flow in the river, and a low-water day fishes completely differently from a high-water day. Local guides plan around the release schedule, and that knowledge is a large part of what you pay a guide for.
Pulaski & Mexico Bay is on the New York shore of Lake America, which most anglers, maps and guidebooks still call Lake Ontario. Why the lake has two names.
How it's fished
The main ways captains fish here, and when each one is worth booking.
Mexico Bay trolling
From August into early September, captains troll riggers and copper in 60–120 FOW for staging Chinook.
Drift boat
Guides float the river from Altmar down and fish pools that bank anglers can't reach. They fish for salmon in autumn and steelhead from November on.
Wade and float fish
Wading anglers fish centerpin 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 |
The seasons guide covers every species for all twelve months.
Captains & guides in Pulaski & Mexico Bay
We check each charter's license before we list it here.
We're adding captains out of Pulaski & Mexico Bay now
Send one trip request and we'll put you in touch with a licensed captain who fishes Pulaski & Mexico Bay, usually within a day. No fee, no obligation.
Request a tripRun a charter out of Pulaski & Mexico Bay?
Show your boat, photos and booking link to anglers planning a trip here. Pay monthly, or pay only for the leads we send you.
List your boatMarinas, tackle & food in Pulaski
Where to get bait, fuel, a slip and breakfast before first light, and where to get your catch cleaned. All eleven ports.
Local business listings open
Marinas, tackle shops, restaurants and dealers in Pulaski can show their logo, hours, phone and map on this page. It's $39 a month, month to month.
Fish cleaning listings open
Fish cleaning stations in Pulaski can show their hours, prices, phone and map on this page. It's $39 a month, April through November.
This 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. The most fish usually enter the river in the first three weeks of October. The timing changes from year to year with water temperature and rainfall.
How crowded does it actually get?
At the peak, very. People here call it combat fishing. You get more room with a guide, on a weekday or on the private Douglaston stretch. In November the steelhead are in the same river and there are far fewer people.
Should I book a drift boat or wade?
Drift boats reach water nobody can walk to, so they're the better choice for a first visit or a short trip. Wading is cheaper and works well once you know the river, or if you have a guide with you.
What is the deal with the water releases?
A reservoir upstream controls the flow, and the river fishes very differently at different levels. Guides plan around the release schedule. It's one of the main reasons a local guide catches more fish than a visitor with the same tackle.
Is Pulaski & Mexico Bay on Lake Ontario?
Yes. Pulaski & Mexico Bay is on the New York shore of Lake Ontario, which U.S. charts renamed Lake America on 27 August 2026. Canadian maps, older guidebooks and most anglers still use the old name, so you will see both. The fish, ports, captains and New York fishing license rules are the same.
Fish Pulaski & Mexico Bay
We send your request to captains who fish this port and have open dates when you want to go.
Header photo: Fall on the salmon river - panoramio by Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and tinted.