Tailwater · Mixed · New York

Oswego River

Oswego River terrain map
Marginal · Steelhead
Egg pattern · 12–16
Slow going — pick your moments
River lifting fast on the rain. Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
45% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • Level1.04 mLifting fast
  • Water temp10.3°C
  • ClarityVery colouredColouring up
Today's fly
Egg pattern
Egg pattern12–16
A dependable searching pattern for these waters.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Rising
1.04 m
Lifting fast
Water temp10.3°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather23°C
WindW 37 km/h
Pressure1002 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Ideal
10°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Steelhead
When
Salmon Sep–Oct; steelhead Oct–Apr
Where
A big, powerful river dropping into Lake Ontario at Oswego, where salmon and steelhead stack below the downtown dam.
Why this works
Poor — water temperature is working for you, but water clarity is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
SulphurHatch
2
3
2
Trico (Eastern)Hatch
2
3
3
2
Eastern Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Eastern Summer BWO (Drunella)Hatch
2
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Steelhead fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • New York licence; verify NY DEC rules and the downtown-dam access
  • Introduced, harvestable sport fishery.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Fishing better nearby · 3
Salmon River
34 km
86
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Genesee River
96 km
0
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Oak Orchard Creek
140 km
0
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Supporting
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Oswego River, Lower, Main Stem' (NY0701-0022), 2022 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Fully Supporting. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · NY0701-0022

Why this score · for Steelhead
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow5522% weight
  • Clarity1518% weight
  • Feeding Time4513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity4812% weight
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts