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Great Lakes

New York Great Lakes Tributaries

Steelhead and salmon streams into Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, with DEC access points and angler parking.

Great Lakes rulesGreat Lakes
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Photo of Genesee River: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0

Tributaries

New York Great Lakes tributaries for steelhead and salmon

DEC lists 19 New York streams running into the Great Lakes for steelhead or Pacific salmon: 15 to Lake Ontario and 4 to Lake Erie. Along them DEC maps 47 angler access points and 50 angler parking areas, 37 of them on Public Fishing Rights ground.

Tributary seasons and gear rules differ from the lake rules; read the Great Lakes rules page before fishing.

StreamLakeCountyDEC speciesAccess pointsParking areas
Canadaway CreekLake ErieChautauquaBrown Trout, Steelhead, Smallmouth Bass11
Cattaraugus CreekLake ErieCattaraugusBrown Trout, Steelhead, Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish48
Chautauqua CreekLake ErieChautauquaSteelhead12
Eighteen Mile CreekLake ErieErieBrown Trout, Steelhead, Smallmouth Bass33
Black RiverLake OntarioJeffersonBrown Trout, Steelhead, Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Smallmouth Bass31
Eighteen Mile Creek, Niagara CountyLake OntarioNiagaraBrown Trout, Steelhead, Atlantic Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon23
Genesee RiverLake OntarioMonroeBrown Trout, Steelhead, Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Walleye32
Irondequoit CreekLake OntarioMonroeBrown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead10
Johnson CreekLake OntarioOrleansBrown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead10
Lindsey CreekLake OntarioJeffersonSteelhead, Chinook Salmon11
Marsh CreekLake OntarioOrleansBrown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead10
Oak Orchard CreekLake OntarioOrleansAtlantic Salmon, Brown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead11
Oswego RiverLake OntarioOswegoBrown Trout, Steelhead, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Smallmouth Bass10
Salmon River, Lewis CountyLake OntarioOswegoBrown Trout, Steelhead, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Atlantic Salmon1017
Sandy CreekLake OntarioJeffersonBrown Trout, Steelhead, Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon24
Sandy Creek, Monroe CountyLake OntarioMonroeBrown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead14
Skinner CreekLake OntarioJeffersonSteelhead, Chinook Salmon43
South Sandy Creek near Lorraine, Jefferson CountyLake OntarioJeffersonBrown Trout, Steelhead, Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Smallmouth Bass55
Stoney CreekLake OntarioJeffersonBrown Trout, Steelhead, Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Smallmouth Bass22

DEC Recommended Fishing Rivers and Streams, DEC Public Fishing Parking Areas and USGS GNIS mouths, retrieved October 24, 2026.

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Species

Fish DEC lists in the New York Great Lakes tributaries

Steelhead19 streams
Brown Trout16 streams
Chinook Salmon15 streams
Coho Salmon13 streams
Smallmouth Bass9 streams
Carp4 streams
Channel Catfish4 streams
Yellow Perch3 streams
Northern Pike3 streams
Walleye3 streams
Parking

Angler parking areas on New York Great Lakes tributaries

Black River

  • Ont-19NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights

Canadaway Creek

  • E-37Nys Dec; Chautauqua County

Cattaraugus Creek

  • E-23Municipal; Erie County
  • E-23NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Erie County; Public Fishing Rights
  • E-23NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Wyoming County; Public Fishing Rights
  • E-23NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Wyoming County; Public Fishing Rights
  • E-23Nys Dec; Cattaraugus County
  • E-23Nys Dec; Cattaraugus County
  • E-23NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Erie County; Public Fishing Rights
  • E-23NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Wyoming County; Public Fishing Rights

Chautauqua Creek

  • E-68NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Chautauqua County; Public Fishing Rights
  • E-68NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Chautauqua County; Public Fishing Rights

Eighteen Mile Creek

  • E-13Municipal; Erie County
  • E-13NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Erie County; Public Fishing Rights
  • E-13Nys Dec; Erie County

Genesee River

  • Ont-117Municipal; Monroe County
  • Ont-117Municipal; Monroe County

Lindsey Creek

  • Ont-48NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights

Oak Orchard Creek

  • Ont-138Nys Dec; Orleans County

Salmon River

  • Ont-53Nys Dec; Lewis County
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53County; Oswego County
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Lewis County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Lewis County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-53Nys Dec; Oswego County
  • Ont-53NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Oswego County; Public Fishing Rights

Sandy Creek

  • Ont-44NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-44Nys Dec; Jefferson County
  • Ont-130NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Monroe County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-44NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights

Skinner Creek

  • Ont-47NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-47NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-47NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights

South Sandy Creek

  • Ont-45NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-45NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-45NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-45NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-45NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights

Stoney Creek

  • Ont-40NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights
  • Ont-40NYS DEC – Public Fishing Rights; Jefferson County; Public Fishing Rights
Photographs

Empire State water close to Tributaries, in pictures

Lake Champlain, New York
Lake Champlain
Photo: Christian Collins, CC BY-SA 2.0
Salmon River, Clinton County, New York
Salmon River, Clinton County
Photo: Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
Ausable River, New York
Ausable River
Photo: bobistraveling, CC BY 2.0
Genesee River, New York
Genesee River
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers

New York Great Lakes tributary questions

How many Great Lakes tributaries does DEC list in New York?

19 streams for steelhead or Pacific salmon.

Which lake gets the most of these tributaries?

Lake Ontario, with 15.

Which tributary has the most DEC access points?

Salmon River, with 10.

What fish run up these streams?

Steelhead, Brown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon and Smallmouth Bass lead the DEC lists.

Are the tributaries open all year?

No; DEC sets tributary seasons and some closures, on the Great Lakes rules page.

What is a Public Fishing Rights parking area?

37 of the 50 parking areas sit on ground where DEC holds anglers’ bank rights.

Do I need a stamp for steelhead?

The New York side of the Great Lakes and their tributaries is covered by the ordinary DEC freshwater license, with no extra stamp: $25.00 a year for residents, $50.00 for nonresidents, or $5.00 and $10.00 for one day.

Where are the Salmon River rules?

On the Great Lakes rules page, with the gear, lure and night rules.