Chinook Salmon in New York
Finding Chinook salmon, keeping them legally, and the record.
- see DEC ruleslimit
- 47 lb 13 ozrecord
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Chinook salmon across New York: rules, record and water
For DEC purposes Chinook salmon is freshwater, and its rules sit in 5 rule tables. In statewide the keeper rule reads see dec rules, open see great lakes and tributaries special regulations.
New York’s record stands at 47 lb 13 oz, landed on Salmon River in 1991. 21 lakes and streams covered here carry it on the DEC lists. In 2025 the hatchery trucks delivered 1,223,769, logged on 12 rows.
DEC’s beginner guide gives the usual size as 30-38 in./ grow to 48 in. The largest of the Pacific salmon, chinook salmon are commonly called king salmon and were first introduced into the Great Lakes in 1873. They were extensively stocked in the 1960s to control overabundant alewife.
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 | see DEC rules | See Great Lakes and Tributaries Special Regulations |
| Lake Erie | Lake Erie | 3 in any combination; minimum 12" | All year |
| Upper Niagara River | Upper Niagara River and tributaries | 3 in any combination | All year |
| Lower Niagara River | Lower Niagara River and tributaries | 3 in any combination; no more than 1 Atlantic salmon, 2 rainbow trout (steelhead) or 2 lake trout; minimum 15", except Rainbow Trout 21" | All year |
| Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River | Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River | 3 in combination; no more than 2 rainbow trout (steelhead) in the lake; no more than 1 rainbow trout (steelhead) and 1 brown trout in tributaries; minimum 15"; rainbow tr | All year |
2026 DEC freshwater fishing regulations web pages (NYS Department of Environmental Conservation), read October 24, 2026; figures checked twice on October 25, 2026.
Biggest Chinook salmon in the DEC record book
| Entry | Weight | Angler | Water | County | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon, Chinook | 47 lb 13 oz | Kurtis Killian | Salmon River Reservoir | Oswego | September 7, 1991 |
DEC state record fish table, DEC Current NY State Record Fish table, as of December 10, 2025; retrieved October 24, 2026.
Where DEC stocks Chinook salmon
| Year | Fish stocked |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,014,677 |
| 2024 | 1,230,668 |
| 2025 | 1,223,769 |
data.ny.gov Fish Stocking Lists (Actual), 2023 to 2025, and the planned spring 2026 trout list; retrieved October 24, 2026.
New York water that holds Chinook salmon
Reservoirs and lakes with Chinook salmon
- Salmon River Reservoir2,900 acres
Kills, creeks and rivers with Chinook salmon
- Black RiverHerkimer County
- Genesee RiverLivingston County
- Oswego RiverOswego County
- Salmon River, Lewis CountyLewis County
- South Sandy Creek near Ellisburg, Jefferson CountyJefferson County
- Little Sandy CreekOswego County
- Skinner CreekJefferson County
- Marsh CreekOrleans County
- Orwell CreekOswego County
- Lindsey CreekJefferson County
- South Sandy Creek near Lorraine, Jefferson CountyJefferson County
- Grindstone CreekOswego County
- Eighteen Mile Creek, Niagara CountyNiagara County
- Irondequoit CreekMonroe County
- Johnson CreekNiagara County
- Oak Orchard CreekOrleans County
- Sandy Creek, Jefferson CountyJefferson County
- Sandy Creek, Monroe CountyMonroe County
DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Rivers lists, DEC trout reaches, stocking lists and state records; largest waters first.
Species that share a category with Chinook salmon
- Largemouth Bassfreshwater
- Smallmouth Bassfreshwater
- Rock Bassfreshwater
- White Bassfreshwater
- Walleyefreshwater
- Saugerfreshwater
- Northern Pikefreshwater
- Chain Pickerelfreshwater
- Muskellungefreshwater
- Tiger Muskellungefreshwater
- Yellow Perchfreshwater
- Black Crappiefreshwater
Empire State water close to Chinook Salmon, in pictures
Photo: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Northeast Region, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: DanTD, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Chinook salmon from the Adirondacks to Long Island: answers
Which DEC row sets the Chinook salmon limit?
see DEC rules under statewide, season see great lakes and tributaries special regulations; other tables set their own figures.
When was the New York Chinook salmon record set?
47 lb 13 oz from Salmon River, caught by Kurtis Killian (September 7, 1991).
Where in New York do Chinook salmon turn up most?
21 water pages here list it, starting with Salmon River Reservoir, Black River and Genesee River.
Does DEC stock Chinook salmon?
Yes; the lists carry 29 rows, most fish going to Salmon River.
Is Chinook salmon a freshwater or a marine fish in New York?
Freshwater on the DEC list.
Is the New York Chinook salmon season open now?
See Great Lakes and Tributaries Special Regulations under statewide.
Which New York license should a Chinook salmon angler buy?
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.
Which DEC page covers Chinook salmon?
From the 2026 DEC regulation pages and the state record table, read October 24, 2026 and checked again October 25, 2026.
Target Chinook salmon this season
Each water listed above has launches, species and limits on its own page.