Our Policies

Gear Checklist

Fishing in this neck of the woods has its own requirements, and a little preparation can go a long way toward making your visit to Douglaston Salmon Run comfortable, safe, and satisfying.

Clothing

The weather around here can go to extremes-sometimes in the same day! So you want to be prepared for just about anything. Our advice is to dress in layers.

• Moisture-wicking layer
• Insulating layer(s)
• Rain jacket 
• Insulated hat & gloves
• Breathable OR Neoprene Waders (Bootfoot or Stocking foot)
• Studded footwear 
• Fishing vest or backpack
• Polarized sunglasses
• Wading staff
• Wading belt
• Personal flotation device(s)

Recommended Equipment

From many years of fishing the river we have a pretty good idea of what works best.

For Salmon….

• Fly Fishing
  • Rods – 8-10 wt rods recommended in 9′-11′ single handed & 11′-15′ two-handed switch and spey rods
  • Reels – 150-yd backing capacity with strong, smooth drag. Mid to large arbor reels recommended.
  • Fly line – 8-10 weight forward (WF) floating lines

• Spinning
  • Rods – 10′-13′ medium to medium heavy action
  • Reels– 3000-5000 size reels
  • Fishing Line – 10-15lb. test monofilament line

• Leader– 10-15 lb. monofilament or fluorocarbon leader
• Tippet – 8-12lb fluorocarbon tippet (0x-2x)
• Flies – Sizes #6-14
  • Egg patterns, nymph patterns, stonefly, hare’s ear, spring wiggler, wooly buggers, soft hackle wet flies, traditional salmon/steelhead patterns.
• Split shot– assorted sizes
• Barrel swivels – Size no. 7-12

For Steelhead & Trout…

• Fly Fishing
  • Rods – 6-8 wt rods recommended in 9′-11′ single handed & 11′-15′ two-handed switch or spey rods
  • Reels – 150-yd backing capacity with strong, smooth drag. Mid to large arbor reels recommended
  • Fly line – 6-8 weight forward (WF) floating lines

• Spinning 
  • Rods – 10′-13′ medium-light to medium action
  • Reels– 2500-4000 size reels
  • Fishing Line – 6-10lb. test monofilament line

• Leader– 8-10lb leader
• Tippet – 6-8lb fluorocarbon tippet (2x-4x)
• Flies – Sizes #6-14
  • Egg patterns, nymph patterns, stonefly, hare’s ear, spring wiggler, wooly buggers, soft hackle wet flies, traditional steelhead patterns.
• Other -Egg sacks, beads (8 & 10 mm), and pink worms
• Split shot– assorted sizes
• Barrel swivels – Size no. 12-14 OR micro-swivels

General DSR Rules & Regulations 

• Minors 17 or under must be supervised by an adult.  
• Children 15 or under will be issued a complimentary fishing pass.
• All guests must possess a valid NYS fishing license and DSR fishing pass; DSR passes must be in all guests possession and shall be exhibited upon request by any officer, land owner , or their agent in control of the lands or waters on which the license holder is present.  
• DSR reserves the right to deny access to, or remove anyone from the property at any time without refund. 

Property Regulations 

• Alcohol is NOT permitted while on the river.  All anglers of legal age agree only to consume alcohol on DSR’s property in the following situations:
  • By an individual while in an approved parking lot.
  • By an individual staying at a DSR Lodge when within the vicinity or inside of his/her lodge.
  • By an individual who is a member of a group which, at least 24 hours in advance, gained explicit approval for a group function from the DSR and which provides direct supervision of the function by someone approved by DSR Management.
• Controlled substances, weapons or pets are NOT permitted. 
• Carry It In / Carry It Out policy will be strictly enforced.
• All private property rights of the DSR and its neighbors will be strictly enforced. 
• The use of cleats or studded footwear is required.  
• The use of polarized sunglasses for eye protection and PFDs while fishing and wading is highly recommended.

DSR Fishing Regulations 

• Ethical fishing practice is observed and enforced at Douglaston Salmon Run.
• Each guest must have their own stringer; giving fish to another angler to fill their stringer is prohibited.  
• An exaggerated lift at any point in a presentation produces foul hooked fish and is NOT acceptable.  
• ALL foul hooked fish must be broken off immediately to prevent unnecessary harm to fish, excessive foul hooking of fish is not tolerated.  
• A breakpoint (knot or swivel) must be used to prevent added weight from sliding down the fishing line to the hook producing a snagging device. A maximum distance of 48” and a minimum of 12” from the break point & added weight to the hook will be strictly enforced.*  (See below)

Catch & Release / Limits

• ALL trout and Atlantic salmon must be released, with undue harm as quickly as possible while utilizing proper release techniques. 
• Guests may keep their daily limit of King or Coho salmon; 3 fish per stringer, combination of both species. 
• Culling fish on a stringer is prohibited.
• Catch & release must be strictly observed once a limit is obtained.

Terminal Tackle Requirements*

    Spin Fishing

• Any weight must be placed above the required breakpoint, between the main line and leaders.
• Weight must remain no further than 4 feet from the hook point.

Fly Fishing / Spey Fishing

• Any weight added to a line must be placed above a breakpoint.
• If a sink tip is being utilized, a breakpoint is NOT required.  If supplemental weight is utilized in addition to a sink tip, a breakpoint would be required.
• Artificial flies with no more than 1/8 oz. of added weight may be used.  

Float Fishing

• A maximum of 48” inches and a minimum of 12” distance from hook point to any additional weight.
• ALL float rigs require a breakpoint separating leader from main line and shotline if applicable. 

Lures

• Any hook on a lure must be attached by a ring or swivel except an artificial fly.
• Aug.15 – Oct.31 ; Floating lures with a single hook point no more than 3.5 in. from the lure body and a 5/8 in. gap or less.

* In addition to DSR, all NYS fishing regulations apply. *

( https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/31420.html ) 

All private property rights of the DSR and its neighbors will be strictly enforced. DSR reserves the right to change regulations, deny access to, or remove anyone from its property at any time and without refund.

Season Pass Guidelines 

• ALL Season Passholders are REQUIRED to Check-in via DSR Guest Services, prior to accessing the DSR property. 
  • DSR Welcome Center – Please present your DSR Season Pass to DSR Guest Services at the ticket booth window.
  • DSR Guest Services – Via Phone  – (315) 298 -6672 ext. 0 – Pass holders accessing the property via the estuary, or upper sections of the property may call to check-in.  Please leave a message indicating your FULL NAME and DATE & TIME of check-in.

• Season pass holders must be in compliance with DSR angler release times during peak and off peak seasons.  Early access, and or general access violations are not acceptable.
• All season passes are valid to use as client passes on guided trips, so long as the pass is valid.
• All guests are prohibited from utilizing DSR’s property while possessing, using, or under the influence of controlled substances and alcohol.
• All NYS & DSR rules and regulations apply.
• All private property rights of the DSR and its neighbors will be strictly enforced. DSR reserves the right to change regulations, deny access to, or remove anyone from its property at any time and without refund.

Lodging Policies

Due to the onset of COVID-19, DSR has implemented many changes in an effort to keep our guests and staff as safe as possible while still delivering the same great experience you’ve come to expect.  Your safety is our priority.

Check-in Procedures

• Check-in Location : DSR Welcome Center; 301 County Route 5 Pulaski, NY 13142
• Check-in Time :  4:00 PM 
• Checking in after hours? : If you anticipate arriving after normal business hours, please let us know ahead of time. The lodge will be left unlocked and guests may go directly to their lodge upon arrival.  Extra lodge keys, fishing passes, and parking permits will be left inside the lodge.
• Early Check-in :  For the safety of all, no early check-ins will be granted in order to ensure that our house keeping staff can safely clean your lodge. Guests intending to fish on the day of check-in may come to the Welcome Center to collect fishing passes during normal business hours, however the lodge may not be accessed until 4:00 pm on the day of check-in. Please plan accordingly knowing this. 
• DSR will distribute all lodge keys, fishing passes, and parking permits to the first member who arrives to check in. If arriving in a group, a single member of your party should approach Ticket Booth to acquire all items. That individual will then be responsible for distributing fishing passes etc. to the rest of the group. Please plan accordingly knowing this. 
• Lodge guest parking permits are issued as needed (based on availability). Seasonal parking lot is open April 15th – Nov 15th, or based on road conditions.
• No exceptions for accessing the lodge, refrigerator, garage, grill, or any other part of the lodge property prior to 4pm. 

Check-out Procedures 

• Check-out Time : 9:00 AM ( LATE CHECK-OUTS NOT PERMITTED)
• Remove all personal belongings from the lodge
• Leave lodge keys inside the lodge & lock doors.
• Please turn on ceiling fans and open at least 3 windows prior to leaving your lodge (based on weather).
• If you plan to fish the day of check-out, please plan accordingly and vacate lodge and driveway by 9:00 AM. We ask you to fish from the welcome center or lodge guest parking area on your day of check-out.    

COVID-19 Cleaning Procedures & Policies

Housekeeping

• For the safety of guests and staff, there will no longer be daily cleaning of your lodge by DSR housekeeping staff. DSR has developed procedures to provide guests with clean linens and necessities, as well as trash removal without entering the main living area of the lodge. 

During your stay….

• Provided at each lodge for your convenience are:  
• White Hamper – ‘Dirty Linens’ – Dirty Linens should be placed in white hamper and will be picked up daily.
• Black Tote – ‘Clean Linens & Lodge Necessities’ – New supplies will be delivered and left inside this tote.
• Trash Bin – ‘Trash’ – Trash should be bagged and placed in the trash bin outside the lodge,to be picked up daily.

*These items are located either outside, on the front porch, or in the mud room.

• Lodge Necessities Requests – Lodge necessities request forms, located on your lodge bulletin board, should be completed daily (or as needed) by 9:00 AM, in order to fulfill requests for specific items. All common linens/items that may be needed during your stay are listed as well as space for writing maintenance concerns.
• Once completed, please place the form inside black tote labeled ‘Clean Linens’ no later than 9:00 AM. Your new supplies will be delivered and left inside the tote by 4:00 PM.

COVID Cleaning Precautions

• Since the onset of COVID-19, DSR is committed to the safety of its guests and staff. DSR has made significant investments in cleaning equipment and our cleaning staff has undergone additional training to thoroughly disinfect the lodges between each group. In addition to our normal cleaning routine:
• Hydrostatic Disinfectant misters with hospital grade disinfectants are used on all surfaces.
• Additional attention paid to high-touch items/surfaces.  
• Hand Sanitizer is provided inside lodges and in public areas.
• We have a full inventory of cleaning supplies on hand to maintain our high cleaning standards.

Guest Safety:

• For the safety of all on DSR’s property, please wear a face covering when you cannot maintain 6ft. social distance relative to others, except when inside/within the vicinity of your lodge with members of your party.  
• All DSR guests must be compliant with current NYS COVID travel restrictions.

Guest Expectations:

• For the comfort of all guests, and respect for DSR’s property, please;
• No Smoking inside any DSR Lodges or garages
• No Cleats or Studded footwear inside DSR Lodges (excluding mudrooms)
• BBQ grills are for outside use only.
• Damages – Lodges are inspected between each guest, any damages will be subject to additional fees.
• Keys – One key is issued at check-in, extra keys can be found hanging from the lodge comment/gratuity box.  
• Gratuities – Housekeeping staff work hard to make your stay enjoyable. If you choose to leave a gratuity, please ensure it is left inside the labeled ‘Comment/Gratuity’ box that is affixed to the wall in the lodge common area. This ensures the gratuity makes it directly to the staff responsible for that lodge. (Trip Advisor/CNN each suggest a gratuity of $2-$5 per person/night.)
• Fishing Access – Lodge guests may access the river from the Welcome Center, lodge guest parking, from the estuary via boat, or from the Black Hole parking lot. Access to lodge guest parking is seasonal based on snow/mud conditions.  
• Access Times – Access Times will vary based on DSR’s hours of operation and types of fishing passes purchased.  Please visit our website for current angler release scheduling.

DSR Guest Pledge

• I know time spent on the water is a special experience, I cherish camaraderie with friends and family, and I appreciate every fish brought to hand.
• I respect other guests and their fishing techniques and avoid conflict with them.
• I am responsible to know all NYS and DSR regulations, including zero tolerance for alcohol.
•  I am responsible for proper species identification and practicing catch and release of trout and Atlantic salmon while maintaining ethical practice through the release.
• I preserve a clean environment and embrace “carry it in, carry it out”.
• I uphold these standards and expect the DSR to escort from the property any angler out of compliance.