Genesee River is a River located in Monroe County, NY. Starting in Ulysses, PA the Genesee River flows 167 miles through Dansville, NY before ending in Rochester, NY. The Genesee River rises to an elevation of 243 feet and has a surface area of 444,797 square miles. Find maps, fishing guides, weather and recreation information at Guidesly.

About Genesee River, NY

Located in Monroe County, New York, is the Genesee River. It is one of the many tributaries of Lake Ontario, with its headwater being in Pennsylvania. The river enters Lake Ontario via Rochester, New York, after traveling 158 miles.  Aside from flowing in one of the five great lakes, it also flows into a gorge called the “Grand Canyon of the East.” This 17-mile gorge is a postglacial gorge formed when the ice age ended. In fact, the Genesee River is the only remaining part of the preglacial water system that used to exist in the area. This gorge is also the focal point of the Letchworth State Park, a known scenic park with a Native American and Pioneer Museum. 

The areas around the Genesee River and Canandaigua Lake are the traditional homeland of the Seneca Nation, a Native American tribe. European settlers first surveyed the area in 1766, led by Thomas Davies. Fast forward into the 19th Century, the river provided the settlements around Rochester with Hydroelectric power via the mills built on it. 

The river is a known fishing spot for anglers, especially with Lake Ontario as its tributary. The most common fish here are brown and rainbow trout, as well as chinook and coho salmon.  

All About Fishing in Genesee River, NY

The salmon run in late August to October fills Lake Ontario with so many anglers. Those who want to experience the run can also head instead to the Genesee River. Aside from salmon, the river also boasts a wide variety of freshwater game fish like largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike. 

There are plenty of access areas where anglers can easily cast their line on the Genesee River. Some of the best spots in the Genesee River are the Rochester City Trailer Launch, the fishing platforms in the village of Wellsville, the Belmont dam, the Bleek Creek Trailer Launch, Conesus Lake, and Hemlock Lake. The preferred fishing techniques used by anglers here are jigging, trolling, fly fishing, and surfcasting. There are plenty of areas here that require anglers to practice catch and release to preserve the number of gamefish swimming in the river’s waters. 

Fishing Seasonality

Because of the variety of gamefish swimming in its waters, fishing in the Genesee River is an all-year-round affair. Still, the “salmon run” months of August to late October is when most anglers visit its waters. These are the months when coho and chinook salmon are most plentiful in the area. Aside from salmon, trout fishing is also open to anglers throughout the year due to the river and the surrounding lakes being stocked with yearling trout each spring. For anglers who wish to fish during the winter months, they can also try ice fishing in the river. 

Fishing Seasonality

Because of the variety of gamefish swimming in its waters, fishing in the Genesee River is an all-year-round affair. Still, the “salmon run” months of August to late October is when most anglers visit its waters. These are the months when coho and chinook salmon are most plentiful in the area. Aside from salmon, trout fishing is also open to anglers throughout the year due to the river and the surrounding lakes being stocked with yearling trout each spring. For anglers who wish to fish during the winter months, they can also try ice fishing in the river. 

All About Fishing in Genesee River, NY

The salmon run in late August to October fills Lake Ontario with so many anglers. Those who want to experience the run can also head instead to the Genesee River. Aside from salmon, the river also boasts a wide variety of freshwater game fish like largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike. 

There are plenty of access areas where anglers can easily cast their line on the Genesee River. Some of the best spots in the Genesee River are the Rochester City Trailer Launch, the fishing platforms in the village of Wellsville, the Belmont dam, the Bleek Creek Trailer Launch, Conesus Lake, and Hemlock Lake. The preferred fishing techniques used by anglers here are jigging, trolling, fly fishing, and surfcasting. There are plenty of areas here that require anglers to practice catch and release to preserve the number of gamefish swimming in the river’s waters.