Pulaski NY Chinook Coho Trip Real Fishy

Full Day Salmon Run Trip in Pulaski, NY

Picture this: it's peak salmon season in Pulaski, and thousands of powerful Pacific salmon are charging up the Salmon River from Lake Ontario. This isn't your typical lazy river float—we're talking about serious fishing for some of the strongest, most determined fish you'll ever hook. Our full-day drift boat trip puts you right in the heart of the action, where Chinook and Coho salmon are stacked up in the deeper holes and runs that most bank anglers can only dream about reaching. You'll spend six hours learning the river, reading the water, and fighting fish that'll test every bit of your tackle and technique.

What to Expect on the Water

We launch from Pine Grove and work our way through some of the most productive salmon water in New York State. This isn't a crowded charter boat situation—it's just you and our guide in a drift boat, moving silently through pools and runs where salmon stage before making their next push upstream. The beauty of the drift boat approach is access. While shore anglers are lined up elbow-to-elbow at the popular spots, we're floating into water that sees a fraction of the pressure. Your guide knows every boulder, every undercut bank, and every deep slot where salmon like to rest during their upstream journey. We'll anchor up when we mark fish, work likely spots thoroughly, then move on when the bite slows down. This trip works for complete beginners who've never held a salmon rod, right up to seasoned river rats looking to up their game. The techniques we'll show you aren't rocket science, but they're deadly effective when applied correctly.

River Techniques That Work

Salmon fishing in Pulaski is all about reading water and understanding fish behavior. These aren't feeding fish like you'd target in the spring—they're on a mission, and they're getting more aggressive and territorial as they push toward their spawning grounds. We'll be running everything from egg sacs and skein to flashy spoons and plugs, depending on conditions and what the fish are telling us. The key is presentation. In the deeper drift boat water, we can get our baits down to the bottom where salmon are holding without getting hung up on every piece of structure. Your guide will teach you how to feel the difference between a rock, a snag, and that subtle tap-tap of a salmon mouthing your bait. We'll work different depths, try various retrieves, and adjust our approach based on water temperature, clarity, and fish activity. The goal isn't just to catch fish—it's to help you understand why we're doing what we're doing, so you can apply these lessons on future trips.

Top Catches This Season

Chinook salmon are the kings of this river system, and for good reason. These bruiser fish average 15 to 25 pounds, with some monsters pushing 30 pounds or more. They're fresh out of Lake Ontario's deep, cold water, so they're still bright silver and absolutely loaded with fight. When a big king takes your bait in heavy current, you'll know it immediately—there's no mistaking that headshaking, line-peeling run for anything else. Chinooks move into the river starting in mid-September, with peak numbers usually hitting in early October. They prefer the deeper holes and runs, especially areas with good current breaks where they can rest without fighting the flow constantly. What makes these fish so special is their power and endurance. Even after making the journey from the big lake, they'll still strip drag like there's no tomorrow.

Coho salmon bring a different kind of excitement to the table. They're typically smaller than Chinooks, running 8 to 15 pounds, but what they lack in size they make up for in pure acrobatics. These fish jump, and jump, and jump some more. A hooked Coho will often clear the water three or four times in a single fight, throwing spray and putting on a show that'll get your adrenaline pumping. They tend to be more aggressive than their larger cousins, often hitting baits with authority rather than the subtle pickups you sometimes get from Chinooks. Cohos also push into the system slightly earlier than the big kings, so early season trips often produce more Coho action. They're incredibly fun on lighter tackle, and their bright silver sides and deeply forked tails make them one of the most beautiful fish in the Great Lakes system.

Time to Book Your Spot

The salmon run waits for no one, and prime dates fill up fast once word gets out that fish are moving. We're talking about a narrow window here—mid-September through late October—when conditions align and these incredible fish are available in fishable numbers. Don't wait until you hear reports of fish jumping at the dam, because by then the best dates are already booked solid. This drift boat approach gives you a serious advantage over the combat fishing that happens along the banks, and the techniques you'll learn will serve you well whether you come back to Pulaski or try salmon fishing anywhere else in the Great Lakes. Remember to grab your New York State fishing license before the trip, and dress in layers since October mornings can be chilly while afternoons warm up nicely. Real Fishy Guide Service has been putting clients on salmon for years, and we know this river system inside and out. Book now and get ready for some of the most exciting freshwater fishing the Northeast has to offer.