In the 19^th century and the first half of the 20^th century, Irondequoit Creek was a heavily polluted stream of little value to anglers or anyone else. Lining its banks were numerous commercial operations, including more than a dozen mills, soap factories, a distillery, tanneries, an ironworks, and a slaughterhouse, all of which dumped contaminated effluents into the stream. Since then, the stream has been rehabilitated, and it has been returned to a relatively clean state. This turnaround was accomplished in large measure by putting an end to the dumping of municipal and industrial sewage into the stream, with the result that today it supports healthy populations of wild brown trout and rainbow trout, and it ranks as one of the state’s top steelhead streams. It is also one of the top paddling resources in western New York and offers great opportunities for birding.

A few anglers specializing in small streams with wild trout would argue that Irondequoit Creek becomes fishable at its junction with Trout Creek about a mile upstream of the crossing of Mendon Road in the hamlet of Mendon. However, most anglers would consider the section in Fishers Park to be the beginning of the fishable waters of this stream. After leaving the park, the stream then flows for about 22 miles before emptying into Irondequoit Bay at LaSalle Landing Park. On its journey, Irondequoit Creek flows through a heavily developed area consisting of typical suburban sprawl. Because of the large amount of development in its drainage area and the associated impermeable surfaces (roads, parking lots, building footprints, etc.) and stormwater management infrastructure, the stream can experience rapid fluctuations in flow volume due to runoff from heavy precipitation or melting snow. (See USGS stream gages under Links for current flows and temperatures.)   

Most of Irondequoit Creek normally has a fairly placid, low-gradient flow. An exception is in Channing H. Philbrick Park, where the stream drops about 90 feet over the course of a mile. (See YouTube video “SUP Paddling on Irondequoit Creek” @ time 17:35-38 under Links for where this occurs.) As a result, this section of the stream is distinct from other sections. This high gradient has a significant impact on trout fishing in the stream. As water tumbles downhill over cascades and low waterfalls, oxygen is pumped into the water. The higher oxygen levels can enable trout to survive in warmer water that, without the additional oxygen, could cause heat stress, lethargy, and even death. Even if the water isn’t warm, the additional oxygen will make the fish more energetic.

Despite its generally developed surroundings, most of Irondequoit Creek has a rather rustic feel due to the fact that most of the stream’s immediate surroundings consist of a partially intact wooded riparian corridor and woodlands. In addition, about a third of the stream flows through parkland.

Portions of Irondequoit Creek can be described as a freestone stream with spring and groundwater influences (i.e., in Fishers Park, Channing H. Philbrick Park, and Panorama Valley Park), but much of the stream flows through DEC-designated forested scrub/shrub and freshwater emergent wetlands where the stream banks and bottom consist of silt and/or sand (i.e., in Spring Lake Park, Ellison Park, and Lucien Morin Park). 

Due to the cold-water flow from several small tributaries, including Trout Creek and Allen Creek, and the infusion of cold groundwater at various points along the stream, Irondequoit Creek upstream of Ellison Park generally has water temperatures that are suitable year-round for trout survival. However, drought conditions in the summer and the impacts of climate change can affect this and other trout streams, so it pays to have a good water thermometer available to (a) check for water temperatures that could be high enough to stress the fish and make fishing for them inadviseable and (b) find cool-water refugia, which the trout seek out when temperatures elsewhere in the stream are becoming marginally too high. My digital thermometer is secured to the lower end of a long, non-floating rod that I can use to probe deep pools. The temperature readout is located at the opposite end of the rod. This is a useful tool to have on many streams during the summer. (See Little Tonawanda Creek.)  

Stocked brown trout and wild brown trout and rainbow trout are found throughout Irondequoit Creek from the junction with Trout Creek in Mendon downstream to the south end of Ellison Park. Especially productive sections of the stream are found in Fishers Park, Powder Mills Park, Spring Lake Park, Channing H. Philbrick Park, and Panorama Valley Park. Irondequoit Creek is managed as a Great Lakes tributary, but if it were managed under the (inland) Trout Stream Management Plan, the 3-mile-long section from Spring Lake Park down to Allen Creek would qualify for the “Wild Quality” category, meaning it has a minimum 40 pounds/acre or 300 yearling and older trout per mile. The section of the stream in the vicinity of Fishers Park might also meet the Wild-Quality criteria. Most trout streams, including some good ones, don’t meet these qualifications. (See DEC Technical Brief under Links.) 

The County of Monroe maintains a hatchery at Powder Mills Park. Established in 1933, this facility rears large numbers of brown trout, which are stocked in Irondequoit Creek, and beginning in 2026, the hatchery will begin stocking Atlantic salmon as well. At various times during the year, local sportsmen's groups, in cooperation with the hatchery, hold fishing derbies for children and senior citizens in Powder Mills Park. The creek will usually be posted with “no fishing” signs a few days prior to the event, and hatchery fish will be stocked specifically for the derby. A few breeder fish are added to the stocking to give the participants the opportunity to take a 6- to 10-pound brown trout.

Many species of fish other than trout are also present in Irondequoit Creek, including northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rock bass, bullhead, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, carp, and occasionally walleye. Some of these might be resident fish, but most migrate in from Irondequoit Bay, often in significant numbers. (Occasionally, a few fish from the Erie Canal also make their way into the stream via Cross Canal Brook.) Northern pike can be found in the lower reaches of the creek all year and, in the spring, they run up at least as far as Allen Creek to spawn. 

In the spring, Irondequoit Creek is heavily stocked with steelhead by the DEC. These fish eventually drop down into Lake Ontario. When they mature, steelhead return to the stream in the fall, and tremendous numbers of these big, hard-fighting fish can be found in Irondequoit Creek from mid-fall until late spring. They will run at least as far up as the town of Fishers in Ontario County. If water levels are sufficiently high, steelhead will also be found in several small tributary streams, most notably Allen Creek, north of Route 441. Over the years, the size of the steelhead runs has been variable, and the numbers of fish returning have been down in recent years. 

Though not stocked here, Chinook salmon also run in Irondequoit Creek in the fall. Their numbers are variable, but the DEC reports that, in some years, catch rates are excellent. A majority of these fish are taken in the vicinity of Ellison Park. Unlike Chinook, very few Coho salmon stray into this creek.

There are no impassible waterfalls or dams on Irondequoit Creek. Consequently, brown trout, steelhead, and salmon from Lake Ontario can move up into the headwaters of the stream, mingling with the stream’s inland trout population. Be aware of how regulations are applied to this stream. (See Lake Ontario Tributaries Special Regulations under Links.)

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Links to associated resources (Irondequoit Bay and Lake Ontario) will be added soon.