Genesee River fishing report: Rochester access, species and rules

Last checked 2026-10-30. This page is a guide, not a catch report. The one current-conditions item is DEC's hotline note, which is dated and goes stale after November 13, 2026.

The short version

• DEC's Lake Erie and Western NY hotline, for October 30 to November 13, 2026, says "The Genesee River is also in great shape with natural flows" (NYSDEC hotline). It gives no Genesee flow number and no Genesee species detail.
• Tributary seasonal rules run September 1 to March 31. For the Genesee, the listed section is from the State Rte. 104 bridge upstream to the Lower Falls (NYSDEC regulations).
• Fishing from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise is prohibited on the Lake Ontario tributaries, and that includes the Genesee section above.

What DEC says this week

The same hotline report says pier anglers are catching "a mix of king salmon and brown trout, with occasional steelhead or coho salmon." That line is from the report's pier section, not a Genesee-specific count.

The report also mentions surplus broodstock stocking of the Genesee River with 600 brown trout and 495 rainbow trout. We did not see a date for that stocking.

Hotline text is dated. Read the current report before you go: NYSDEC hotline.

Run timing

DEC's timing for Lake Ontario tributaries is general, not Genesee-specific. DEC says tributary fishing for Chinook and coho begins in early September and runs through early November, with the peak during the first two weeks of October. On other streams, DEC says run timing depends more on rainfall, with a peak in mid-October (NYSDEC Pacific salmon fishing). DEC's page gives no Genesee timing. See our salmon run timing guide.

DEC's Lower Genesee map says that downstream of the lower falls, near the Driving Park Avenue bridge, "the fish population changes seasonally to reflect that of Lake Ontario." It lists brown trout, rainbow trout/steelhead, coho and Chinook (DEC Public Fishing Rights map).

Rules, as DEC states them

These are summaries. The DEC page is the rule (NYSDEC regulations).

• Season: seasonal tributary regulations apply September 1 to March 31. The Genesee section is "From the State Rte. 104 bridge upstream to the Lower Falls."
• Night closure: fishing from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise is prohibited. DEC's table lists this in its Hours column for the Lake Ontario tributary rows.
• Brown trout, rainbow trout/steelhead, coho, Chinook: open all year. 15 inch minimum, except rainbow trout or steelhead at 25 inches in tributaries. 3 in combination, with no more than 1 rainbow trout (or steelhead) and 1 brown trout in the tributaries.
• Hooks: one hook with a single hook point (floating lures and artificial flies are excepted). Hooks must be free-swinging, except on an artificial fly or jigs. The gap cannot exceed 1/2 inch. Weighted hooks are prohibited except artificial flies and jigs weighing no more than 1/8 oz.

Access

• Seth Green / Lower Falls Public Fishing Area. DEC's Public Fishing Rights (PFR) map gives these directions. Heading east on Rt 104, exit at St. Paul Street, turn left (south), go .5 miles, turn right onto Seth Green Drive, and in about 150 feet there is a parking area on the right. Heading west on Rt 104, exit at Seneca Avenue, turn left (south), go .5 miles, turn right onto Norton Street, and go 1 mile. Norton Street becomes Seth Green Drive at St. Paul Street, and about 150 feet past that intersection there is a parking area on the left (DEC PFR map).
• What a PFR is. DEC calls public fishing rights "permanent easements" giving anglers the right to fish and walk along the bank, usually a 33 foot strip on one or both banks. DEC says its maps are not survey quality. Check the map before you walk a bank.
• Rochester Naval Militia (accessible site). DEC lists it on the east bank, near the northern end of Saint Paul Boulevard, near the mouth of the river: concrete shore fishing access with five accessible parking spots. DEC says no privy is currently available and advises confirming facilities with DEC Region 8 in Avon, 585-226-2466 (NYSDEC accessibility list).
• Region 8 Fisheries: (585) 226-2466.

We did not find a primary source on boat launches on the lower Genesee, or on hydro-station access closures, so this page does not describe them. See our Rochester port page.

River gauge

USGS station 04231600, Genesee River at Ford Street Bridge, Rochester NY, reports discharge, water temperature and gage height. USGS real-time values are provisional.

Flow data courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey. Values are provisional and subject to revision.

We have not confirmed where the Ford Street gauge sits relative to the Lower Falls, so we do not say it reflects conditions at the fishing area. We also do not compare the gauge to the DEC hotline wording.

Safety

DEC's Pacific salmon page carries safety advice for tributary anglers. Read it before you wade (NYSDEC).

Sources

• NYSDEC Lake Erie and Western NY fishing hotline
• NYSDEC Great Lakes tributaries regulations
• NYSDEC Public Fishing Rights Maps, Lower Genesee River
• NYSDEC Pacific salmon fishing
• NYSDEC fishing access for anglers with disabilities
• USGS 04231600 Genesee River at Ford Street Bridge

Last checked 2026-10-30. Hotline content goes stale November 13, 2026. Check DEC before you go.