Tailwater · Mixed · New York, US

Oswego River

From the Oswego River Bridge looking toward Lake Ontario, Oswego, New York - 20210221
Today · Slow going — pick your moments
Czech Nymph
Forecast · Today
Slow going — pick your moments
Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
45% projected
Today's fly
Czech Nymph
Czech Nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.89 m
Lifting fast
Water temp11.1°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather12°C
WindN 27 km/h
Pressure1032 hPa
Rain · recent20.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Steelhead
Ideal
11°C est.ideal 4–13°C
0°14°28°

Typical for this reach at this time of year, fitted to the river's own record — not a reading of today's release. A change at the dam can move it several degrees within hours. It also warms as it runs away from the dam.

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 — barometric pressure is working for you, but water clarity is the limiting factor today.
Likely species
Damselflies & dragonflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12h

12h(now) — Eastern Blue-Winged Olive

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 56%
Also:Black Midge23%
Peak emergence window4 food groups active

Peak activity at 12h — Eastern Blue-Winged Olive (Eastern Blue-Winged Olive, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 as a supporter.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October 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
Fly box · Steelhead
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
Oak Orchard Creek
140 km
77
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Salmon River
34 km
75
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Genesee River
96 km
75
Steelhead · Chinook salmon · Coho salmon
Gallery · 2
  1. From the Oswego River Bridge looking toward Lake Ontario, Oswego, New York - 20210221
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
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
  • Temperature3928% weight
  • Flow5522% weight
  • Clarity1518% weight
  • Feeding Time5513% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity3712% weight
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts