The Oswego River is formed by the Oneida and the Seneca rivers. It is approximately 23 miles long and enters Lake Ontario in the City of Oswego. The Oswego River is second only to the Niagara River in size as a Lake Ontario tributary.

   The Oswego River has several dams that are used to hold back water for the canal system and to generate electrical power. The Varick power dam is the first one that blocks the fish migration upstream. It is located right in the city about a mile up from where the river enters the harbor. In the fall the steelhead, brown trout, and salmon will collect up below the dam providing anglers with a fantastic fishing opportunity.

   The lower section of river where it enters the harbor offers great fishing for bass, walleye, catfish, rockbass, sheephead, white bass, yellow perch, carp, northern pike, trout and the occasional salmon. This area is a real hotspot for fisherman in April and May. During the summer months many fisherman will fish this section of river at night for walleyes ranging from 2 to 14 pounds.

   Fishing on the Oswego River is great all year. The summer months provide fantastic bass and walleye fishing. The fall provides excellent trout and salmon fishing. During the winter months the steelhead reigns king. Spring fishing is also awesome as well. Spring time anglers on the river may encounter any and all species of fish that exist in the Lake Ontario waters. Fishing with live bait or lures in the spring are both very productive methods. If you would like to get a current up to date fishing report for the Oswego River please Click Here.

  The Oswego area is home to a large fleet of fishing Charters Boats and River Guides which would be happy to show you a fantastic time on Lake Ontario, Oneida Lake, the Oswego River, and the Salmon River Oswego Fishing Charter Boats and Guides.

  The city of Oswego has spent considerable time and money working on the riverfront. As you can see there is a cement walkway with railings that runs the entire west side of the river from the harbor to the powerplant. This make a great fishing opportunity for the elderly and the handicapped. I once saw a guy in a wheel chair land a salmon on the upper wall near the powerplant. Everyone was very good about getting out of his way and when he got the fish in the net I never heard such a round of applause. That was truly a moment I will remember forever.

  Memorial Day 2005, Ken Hemshrot and his son had a fabulous night walleye fishing trip on the Oswego River with Shane Thomas of the Gottum Guide Service. The photo on the left shows 4 walleyes that weighed in at an 14 pounds, 11.5 pounds, 10.5 pounds, and 8.5 pounds. Ken's son Kenny caught his first legal NY State Walleye, and it was an incredible 11.5 pounds. Of course not to be outdone dad came through with a 14 pound whopper. Kenny's 11.5 and Ken's 14 pounder are going to be mounted. It was a very memorable Memorial Day for Ken Hemshrot and his son.

  Move over salmon look out steelhead make way for the new kid on the block the Monster Lake Ontario Walleye. Yes, they have been there for a while, but the secret is out of the bag now. The LOC Derby even has a walleye category now which goes to show how much respect and attention these big walleyes are getting. A 12 pound walleye won the new division but a 10 pound walleye would not even finish in the top ten spots. Are they feeding heavily on the gobies lets hope so maybe the state record will fall this year!

   In September 2004 Jennifer Conley and some friends were fishing from a private boat in the Oswego Harbor. Thats when Jennifer caught her first king salmon. This fine specimen weighed in at 20 pounds. It was caught on a home made tinsel fly behind a spin doctor flasher.

  The Oswego Harbor is a commercial shipping port. It is also the gateway to the NYS Barge Canal, better known as the Erie Canal. Oswego Harbor is referred to by many as the best port on Lake Ontario

   Its sheltered waters offer fisherman a refuge on those days when the lake is a bit to rough to venture out on. Fishing the Oswego Harbor can really produce some amazing results. In the spring it offers a fantastic fishery for brown trout and steelhead. In the summer bass and walleye fisherman are here in large numbers. As the summer nears it end usually in mid September the salmon will collect up in the harbor prior to the fall run. Once they have become concentrated in the harbor they offer anglers a wonderful fishing opportunity.

   The Oswego area of Lake Ontario has produced a World Record Coho Salmon as well as the New York State Record Brown Trout . Stephen M. Sheets of Woolrich, Pa., caught the record breaking coho that weighed in at 33.45 pounds on August 13, 1998. Tony Brown of Schenectady, NY caught the new state record brown of 33-pounds, 2-ounces on June 10, 1997. Both of these fantastic fish were taken by clients of local charter captains.

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