Atlantic Salmon in New York
Atlantic salmon under the 2026 DEC rules.
- 3; minimum 15"limit
- 24 lb 15 ozrecord
Pick for salmonPiscifun Viper X spinning reel50% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Lake Ontario: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
The New York outline for Atlantic salmon
The Empire State treats Atlantic salmon as a freshwater species, regulated in 6 rule tables. For statewide, DEC lists 3; minimum 15″ and a season of all year.
The heaviest one on the DEC record list weighed 24 lb 15 oz and came from Lake Ontario in 1997. It appears on 59 New York water pages on this site. The 2025 stocking list totals 798,711 fish over 73 rows.
DEC’s beginner guide gives the usual size as 15-30 in./ grow to 38 in. Atlantic salmon are native to New York State. They used to live in the ocean and migrate to freshwater to spawn, but landlocked populations that spend their entire lives in freshwater now exist. They are known to leap high out of the water when hooked.
Size note and fact from the DEC I FISH NY beginner guide (I FISH NY Beginners' Guide to Freshwater Fishing, Chapter 1 Fishes of New York (DEC, 2016)).
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| Rule table | Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide inland waters | Statewide | 3; minimum 15" | All year |
| Lower Niagara River | Lower Niagara River and tributaries | see DEC rules; minimum 25" | All year |
| Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River | Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River | 1; minimum 25" | All year |
| Lake Champlain | Lake Champlain and tributaries to the first impassable barrier | 2; minimum 15" | All year |
| Finger Lakes | Canadice, Canandaigua, Conesus, Hemlock, Keuka and Seneca lakes | 5 combined; minimum 15" | All year |
| Finger Lakes | Cayuga Lake | 5 combined; minimum 15" (Atlantic salmon 18") | All year |
| Finger Lakes | Honeoye Lake | 5 combined; minimum 15" | All year |
| Finger Lakes | Owasco Lake | 5 combined; minimum 15" | All year |
| Finger Lakes | Skaneateles Lake | 5 combined; minimum 15" | All year |
| Finger Lakes tributaries | Canadice, Canandaigua, Hemlock, Keuka and Seneca lake tributaries (to the first impassable barrier) | 3 combined; minimum 15" | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| Finger Lakes tributaries | Owasco, Otisco and Skaneateles lake tributaries (to the first impassable barrier, except Spafford Creek) | 3 combined; minimum 15" (brown trout 9") | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| Finger Lakes tributaries | Cayuga Lake tributaries (to the first barrier impassable by fish, except Fall Creek) | 3 combined; minimum 15" (Atlantic salmon 18") | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
| Finger Lakes tributaries | Fall Creek (Cayuga Lake), downstream edge of the railroad bridge below Rt. 13 to Ithaca Falls | 3 combined; minimum 15" (Atlantic salmon 18") | Apr 1 – Dec 31 |
2026 DEC freshwater fishing regulations web pages (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation), read October 24, 2026; figures checked twice on October 25, 2026.
The New York record Atlantic salmon
| Entry | Weight | Angler | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon, Atlantic | 24 lb 15 oz | Mike Dandino | Lake Ontario | Wayne | April 5, 1997 |
DEC state record fish table, DEC Current NY State Record Fish table, as of December 10, 2025; retrieved October 24, 2026.
Largest Atlantic salmon stockings by water
| Year | Fish stocked |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 741,930 |
| 2024 | 899,631 |
| 2025 | 798,711 |
data.ny.gov Fish Stocking Lists (Actual), 2023 to 2025, and the planned spring 2026 trout list; retrieved October 24, 2026.
Upstate and downstate water for Atlantic salmon
Ponds and lakes holding Atlantic salmon
- Lake Champlain277,117 acres
- Seneca Lake43,394 acres
- Cayuga Lake42,910 acres
- Lake George28,562 acres
- Keuka Lake11,667 acres
- Skaneateles Lake8,777 acres
- Schroon Lake4,257 acres
- Otsego Lake4,171 acres
- Salmon River Reservoir2,900 acres
- Piseco Lake2,850 acres
- Upper Chateaugay Lake2,550 acres
- Chazy Lake1,845 acres
- Neversink Reservoir1,540 acres
- Blue Mountain Lake1,259 acres
- Lake Clear1,108 acres
- Seventh Lake951 acres
- Paradox Lake935 acres
- Taylor Pond885 acres
- West Branch Reservoir near Carmel, Putnam County764 acres
- Lake Eaton, Hamilton County574 acres
- Rollins Pond555 acres
- Follensby Clear Pond495 acres
- Millsite Lake487 acres
- Hoel Pond462 acres
Creeks and rivers holding Atlantic salmon
- Schroon RiverEssex County
- Salmon River, Lewis CountyLewis County
- South Sandy Creek near Ellisburg, Jefferson CountyJefferson County
- Point Rock CreekLewis County
- South Sandy Creek near Lorraine, Jefferson CountyJefferson County
- Ausable RiverClinton County
- Boquet RiverEssex County
- Cold Brook, Steuben CountySteuben County
- East Branch Fish CreekLewis County
- Eighteen Mile Creek, Niagara CountyNiagara County
- Fall CreekCayuga County
- Jessup RiverHamilton County
- Oak Orchard CreekOrleans County
- Salmon CreekTompkins County
- Sandy Creek, Monroe CountyMonroe County
- Saranac RiverClinton County
- West Branch Fish CreekOswego County
DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Rivers lists, DEC trout reaches, stocking lists and state records; largest waters first.
More New York fish filed beside Atlantic salmon
- Largemouth Bassfreshwater
- Smallmouth Bassfreshwater
- Rock Bassfreshwater
- White Bassfreshwater
- Walleyefreshwater
- Saugerfreshwater
- Northern Pikefreshwater
- Chain Pickerelfreshwater
- Muskellungefreshwater
- Tiger Muskellungefreshwater
- Yellow Perchfreshwater
- Black Crappiefreshwater
The water near Atlantic Salmon through a lens
Photo: Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net ), CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Allie_Caulfield from Germany, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Mike Peel ( www.mikepeel.net ), CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ruhrfisch, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick replies on New York Atlantic salmon
What size must a New York Atlantic salmon be to keep?
3; minimum 15" under statewide, season all year; other tables set their own figures.
Who holds the New York Atlantic salmon record?
24 lb 15 oz from Lake Ontario, caught by Mike Dandino (April 5, 1997).
Which pages here mention Atlantic salmon?
59 water pages here list it, starting with Lake Champlain, Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake.
Is Atlantic salmon on the DEC stocking lists?
Yes; the lists carry 232 rows, most fish going to Saranac River.
How does DEC classify Atlantic salmon?
Freshwater on the DEC list.
Can I fish for Atlantic salmon all year in New York?
All year under statewide.
What will a license to chase Atlantic salmon set me back?
Trout and salmon need no stamp in New York; the DEC freshwater license ($25.00 resident, $50.00 nonresident, $5.00 for residents 70 and older) covers them.
When were the Atlantic salmon rules checked?
From the 2026 DEC regulation pages and the state record table, read October 24, 2026 and checked again October 25, 2026.