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Located in western New York just west of Rochester,
Oak Orchard River is a quality migratory fishery for
brown trout, salmon, and steelhead. It is a medium
sized river that is easily wadeable in all but the
highest flows. Being a tailwater fishery it generally
remains ice free and fishable during the winter months.
Many anglers come from all over to fish this renowned
tributary to Lake Ontario.
Steelhead can be present from late October to early
May and average approximately 10 pounds with fish
topping 20 pounds. Steelhead numbers in Oak Orchard
are usually best from February to late April (runs
of steelhead come in with the Fall salmon migrations
to eat their eggs). Brown trout and salmon usually
start entering the river in late September. The browns
average 6-8 pounds and can get as big as 18-20 pounds!
The brown trout are what Oak Orchard is famous for
and the area is likened to a sort of "poor man's
Patagonia." Numbers can stay strong through the winter
with the best runs between mid October and early
December. King Salmon (Chinook) average 20+ pounds
with "trophies" over 35 pounds. The salmon run till
November with the best runs from the end of September
to the end of October. In limited numbers both Coho
and Atlantic Salmon enter the waterway during the
Fall and provide a truly diversified fishery. As
in all fisheries, please check all the Special
Regulations before you fish. |
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Thanks to the demands of power generation at the Waterport
hydro and other upstream generating facilities, water
flows in the Oak Orchard vary and can go up (or down)
at any time. In fact, due to the "buffering" effect
of impoundment behind the Waterport dam, the river
is often fishable when many, if not all, area waterways
are too high and / or turbid. After hard rains fish
will often enter the river and the fishing can be outstanding
when water levels recede and water clarity returns.
Fishing Oak Orchard is done in much the same fashion
as all of the Great Lakes fisheries, although traditional
fly lines and set-ups easily out number running lines
and "slinky" rigs (lead sacks on a snap swivel.)
Temperate flows and depths allow the more popular
method (a tapered floating flyline, long leader and
split shot or weighted fly) to be effective. The
same technique is used here as in nymph fishing for
trout. Another fly fishing technique is the use of
a sink tip line and a short leader(approximately
5-7 feet). Flourocarbon leaders sink easier than
standard monofiliment and sink tip lines combined
with the new sinking tip leaders allow fly fishers
to fish effectively without lead. The sink tip method
can be productive when using spey flies, woolly buggers,
and egg sucking leeches during periods of warmer
water when the fish are more active. In this method,
the fly is swung on a tight line. Colder water dictates
a slower swing. Mending upstream properly will help
you control the speed of the swing.
Access to the river can be found using Routes 18
and 104 from the east and west or Route 98 from the
south. (The New York State Thruway, Interstate 17/86,
Interstate 390 and Lake Ontario Parkway will get
travelors to western New York from points east, south
or west.) Once in the vicinity, Park Avenue on the
east side of the river affords most of the access
to the mile or so of productive, driftable water
below the dam.
Oak Orchard River is a one of a kind fishery, often
described as "World Class." With the angler friendly
size of the river and the large number of migrating
trout and salmon, it is no doubt a famous Fall, Winter
and Spring fishery. Angling pressure can be high
as on some Great Lakes tributaries. When the fishing
is on, it is phenomenal, and there are plenty of
fish to go around. The next time your looking to
catch a trout measured in pounds, not ounces and
that has the capability of "cleaning your reel",
take a look at Oak Orchard River. |
