It is an autumn experience like few others that draws fishermen from across the country to our area. And it is underway again.  

Waterport is where anglers arrive for the great salmon run at Oak Orchard Creek. While plenty grab their waiters and walk into the stream known as "The Oak," many grab a spot on the rail at the Waterport Hyrdo Plant and try to land salmon making the run toward the waterfall to spawn. Thousands will gather along the line to hook up and yell the familiar warning: "Fish On!"

"It's just the amount of salmon," Chris Striker of Bath said. "It's what brings you out."

Orleans County sees a big boost in tourism thanks to the salmon run.

"They're staying in the area. They're eating in our restaurants, visiting our stores," country tourism spokesperson Dawn Borchert said. "A lot of fishermen bring their wives, they go shopping, the men go fishing."

The DEC stocks more than 150-thousand salmon in The Oak each spring to keep the fishing healthy.

"People are pulling out 30 pound fish. Guys are coming from all over. It's fun," said DEC field officer Vern Fonda, who walked the rail at Brookfield Hydro Plant along the fishery checking licenses and ensuring "snaggers" were not hooking fish illegally. 

Robert Leonard came with a brother and a friend from Virginia to see The Oak for the first time.

"It's something different. Back in Virginia we have a lot of rainbow trout , brown trout that's the same size as the fish here, but we like to do the salmon fishing," Leonard said.

The DEC expects this salmon run to run through most of the rest of October.