Type of Stream
Tailwater
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Species
Brown Trout
Brown Trout
Brook Trout
(Wild Trout – Some areas stocked
with holdovers)
Size
Large
Location
South Eastern New York
Nearest Towns
Hancock, New York
Deposit, New York
Weather:
Hancock NY
Season
Year-round some parts, April 1-
November 31 in others.
Access:
Fair to Good
Non-Resident License
State of New York
Seasons:
Fly fishing is great throughout the season.
Spring:
Spring is certainly the most popular season to fish Penns Creek because of its numerous hatches.
Summer:
Summer time can slow down the action unless you fish early and late.
Fall:
Fall season is a great time to catch the large brown trout and is overlooked by many anglers.
Winter:
Trout can be taken on all but the coldest days of winter on imitations of midge larvae, pupae and sometimes, the adults.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 & 12 ft., 5 or 6X, Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Superb Five or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Delaware River New York – Fishing Report – December 14, 2024
The West Branch is flowing a little below a normal level and clear. The East Branch is flowing at a very high level and stained. The Main stem is flowing near a normal level and clear. Good late season hatches are still taking place.
Stream Conditions: West Branch Real Time USGS Data
Rate: 66.1 cfs
Level: 6.27 ft
Afternoon Water Temperature: 39 (upper part)
Clarity: clear
East Branch Stream Flow Data: Rate: 638 cfs Level: 3.79 ft
Afternoon Water Temperature: 40
Stream Flow Data: USGS Real-Time Stream Flow Data At Harvard NY
Stream Conditions: Main Stem
Rate: 46.30 ft Level: 8.57
Afternoon Water Temperature: 39
Clarity: clear
Stream Flow Data: USGS Real-Time Stream Flow Data At Lordville NY
Recommended Trout Flies:
Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
Blue-winged Olives: size 16, 18 nymph, emergers, duns and spinners
Aquatic Worms, size 12, pink, red, and others
Midges: Light Green and Red (Blood) midges sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adult. Our larva and pupa midge flies, pre-rigged in tandem, are very popular here. You can fish them under a strike indicator keeping the larva fly near the bottom. https://perfectflystore.com/product/pre-rigged-tandem-midge-larva-pupa-tippet
Winter Stoneflies; size 16/18, nymphs and adults
Perfect Flies are designed and tied to to imitate and behave like the natural foods the trout rely on to survive as much as possible. The more your fly looks like and moves through and on the surface of the water like the real things, the higher your odds of success.
The Delaware River is one of, if not the best, trout stream in the Eastern United States. There’s almost eighty miles of water with a good population of large, wild trout. Much of the river forms the boundary between the states of New York and Pennsylvania. There’s plenty of cold water and a huge population of aquatic insects that make the Delaware River a choice destination for catching wild, stream-bred trout. Fly fishing the Delaware River consist of (3) three separate sections which have entirely different types of water. Our fly fishing guide sections are broken down into these three separate sections to fully cover each of them.
Fly fishing the West Branch or the Delaware River tailwater below Cannonsville Reservoir is very popular and generally the most productive of the three sections. Because of that, it’s also the most fished section of the river by fly anglers. The West Branch of the Delaware varies greatly with the releases of water from the dam. This twenty mile long section supports trout throughout the year. For the most part, it is a picture perfect river with long fast runs, pools and riffles. It’s a big river varying in width from about 60 feet to as much as 200 feet. Part of this section hear Deposit has a catch-and-release section. The river holds both brown and rainbow trout but the majority are larger size brown trout. There is plenty of public access points on the West Branch but you need to make certain you are not fishing on private property without you have permission. Winterdale Road provides a good bit of access. Hales Eddy is another access point but there are others.without you have permission.
The East Branch is the Delaware River is a tailwater below Pepacton Reservoir. A few miles downstream from the dam it receives the water of the famous Beaverkill, its largest tributary. The entire East Branch is approximately 32 miles long. The river is wide, ranging from 50 to as much as 200 feet in width in places. This East Branch tailwater is different depending on whether your fishing above the confluence of the Beaverkill or below it. The water from the Pepacton Dam to the Beaverkill is very clear, moderately flowing water with long pools. Most all the property along the upper part of the East Branch is private and permission should be obtained to fish it. It has a good population of brown trout and brook trout are present in many of the small tributaries that enter the river. Below the confluence of the Beaverkill, the river is warmer during the summer and largely dependent on the flows from the Beaverkill. There is some pocket water in the lower section but it consist mostly of long runs, pools and a few riffles. The West and East Branches of the river flow together at Hancock, New York, and form what the locals call the Big “D”, or the main stem of the Delaware River. There’s about 27 miles of trout fishing on the Main Stem. The famous Junction Pool is located at the beginning of the main stem at the little town of Hancock, New York. The cold water section that holds trout is approximately 25 miles long and extends down to Callicoon. Access to the main stem for fly fishing the Delaware River is a problem due to the lack of public access. You have to get permission from the local land owners to fish most of the lower river. There are a few public access points on both sides of the river. Pennsylvania Route #191 has some access points and so does New York’s Route 97. The main stem consist of many long pools with smooth surface water but they are regularly broken up with riffles, providing a great habitat for the large rainbows and browns. The fish in the main stem are large. Fish are commonly caught up to 18 inches in length. All three sections of the river hold plenty of large trout, have large populations of aquatic insects and provide great fishing opportunities for visiting anglers.
East Branch: The East Branch flows from the Pepacton Reservoir dam. In its upper section, this section of the Delaware River has a low gradient and slow flows. During the summer there are huge beds of weeds and wading can be tricky in parts of the stream. Parts of the river are too deep to wade. Many prefer to fish the upper section of the East Branch from a boat. It is better suited for a canoe and as a result, there are a lot of recreational boater and canoeist. The upper part contains some Brook Trout, mostly in the mouths of its small tributaries. It looks much like a spring creek. Farther downstream, brown trout begin to dominate. There are some sections of riffles at Shinhopple, otherwise the river remains fairly slow flowing above the confluence of the Beaverkill. The Beaverkill adds a lot of water to the flow. It joins the tailwater about 17 miles below the dam or about the middle of the East Branch. It also changes the appearance of the river. It looks more like a freestone stream and closer to the West Branch and Main Stem of the Delaware than its upper East Section. Above the Beaverkill, the water temperatures almost never exceed 70 degrees. Below the Beaverkill, water temperatures have reached as high as 80 degrees in the hot summer. In other words, the East Branch can become too warm in its lower section during the hot summer. While the upper East Branch is mostly populated by brown trout, its lower section contains mostly rainbow trout. The trout population in the upper and lower sections of the East Branch is supplemented by the state with stocked brown trout. There are plenty of wild rainbows in the river but they are forced to migrate a long way during the hot summer months. The lower part of the East Branch is more suitable to floating than wading. It is often too high to wade during the Spring. The first few miles below the Beaverkill is all private property. The last few miles above the confluence with the West Branch has some public access and is frequently floated by drift boats during the cooler parts of the year. The timing of the aquatic insect hatches on the East Branch varies with the different water temperatures. The upper cold water hatches occur at slightly different times than they do in the lower section and there are some differences in the species that inhibit the water in the different sections.
Main Stem: The West and East Branches of the river flow together at Hancock, New York, and form what the locals call the Big “D”, or the main stem of the Delaware River. There’s about 27 miles of trout fishing on the Main Stem. The famous Junction Pool is located at the beginning of the main stem at the little town of Hancock, New York. The cold water section that holds trout is approximately 25 miles long and extends down to Callicoon. The main stem is a large, wide river. It has long deep pools some of which are close to a half mile long. There are some large rocks and boulders and steep drop offs. Much of the main stem can be waded but it can be too strong and deep depending on the discharges of the dams. Many anglers prefer to fish it from a drift boat. It is difficult to access in some places and is rarely fished by those anglers new to the Delaware River. It is bordered by beautiful wooded mountains on both sides of the river. It is a part of the National Park’s Wild and Scenic River systems and is mostly undeveloped. Over the years, it has received little attention from the media compared to the West or East Branches. The upper part of the Main Stem has a low gradient, consisting of very large pools with short sections of connecting riffles. The lower one-third of the Main Stem has more riffles. Most of the wading done in the Main Stem is done in the very uppermost section near the Junction Pool. There’s easy access and the water is more suitable for wading than it is downstream. Even so, it’s a highly popular float section. It also contains a higher trout population that the lower section. Like anywhere else on the Delaware River, and most any tailwater for that matter, obtaining and becoming familiar with the discharges and stream levels is of critical
importance, especially on the Main Stem.
West Branch Fly Fishing Guide:
The West Branch is the premiere fishing destination of the three branches of the Delaware River. I think that is for several reasons, some of which have little to do with the fish or I should say, fish catching. It has plentiful and fairly easy access; is it far less intimidating to new anglers than the huge Main Stem; it is like wading a flooded parking lot (easy to wade); and it isn’t as difficult to fish or understand as the different types of water that exist in the East Branch. It has also received most of the publicity over the years. The West Branch first flows though some minor rapids with fast water below the dam. The flows subside and the river begins to flow moderately through some islands. It is the coldest of the two branches. The river gradually goes into a main wide channel below the islands with long pools connected by short sections of riffles. You can wade across the river in most areas provided the releases are suitable. The bottom of the stream is relatively level. Even so, many anglers still prefer to fish it from a drift boat. Most of the trout in the West Branch are brown trout, with some brookies and rainbows. It is not stocked. All its fish are wild although two of its small tributaries are stocked and it is possible for them to get into the West Branch. It has more trout per acre than either the Main Stem or the East Branch. Highway #17 follows the river fairly closely for most all of its length. It is approximately 18 miles long and wide, averaging probably 200 feet or more. There are over a dozen well marked fishing access points along the West Branch. The uppermost mile plus section of the river above a weir dam, is closed to fishing. Below the weir dam the water stays clear and cold. This section can be fished after heavy rains that stain most other parts of the river. The lower section of the West Branch, from the Hale Eddy Bridge to the Junction Pool where the Main Stem starts, is the longest section. It depends on constant discharges of water during the summer to remain cool. The lower section can become too warm during the hot summer if the discharges aren’t regulated to help the fish. The farther downstream you fish, the more rainbows you are likely to encounter. This section of the river can be accessed from both Pennsylvania and New York. By the way, fishing license are reciprocal. The West Branch is noted for its prolific hatches of aquatic insects and the challenges it presents in matching the hatch. Anglers come from throughout the nation to fish its Hendrickson, Sulphur and other mayfly hatches, but it also contains large populations of stoneflies, midges and caddisflies. Its banks are lined with grass providing a good habitat for terrestrial insects. During major hatches, its waters can become crowded with anglers, complicating the catching problem. Even so, the fact the West Branch has a excellent population of all wild rainbow and brown trout that are very catchable by anglers that can master the challenges, makes it in our opinion, the best tailwater in the Eastern United States.
Delaware River Hatches and Trout Flies:
The above images of Hendrickson mayflies show what is considered by many anglers to be the most important mayfly species that hatches on the Delaware. They hatch in large quantities and produce some excellent dry fly fishing. The Delaware River has one of the largest populations and widest varieties of aquatic insects of any Eastern trout stream we know of. Matching the hatch can be essential and difficult. Many of our Perfect Fly trout flies were developed on the Delaware River. It’s one of our favorite trout streams. Keep in mind the discharges affect the hatch times as well as the particular section of the river you are fishing. The most consistent and longest hatches of mayflies are the Blue-winged Olives. There are several species that hatch from about the middle of March through the middle of May and then again from about the first of July through November. Much of the season, you can find some BWOs hatching at some point in the system. About the second week of April, you can expect to find both Quill Gordons and Blue Quills starting to hatch. Both hatches last about six weeks or until near the middle to the end of May. Eastern Pale Evening Duns (Ephemerella invaria), called Sulphurs by many anglers, start hatching about the middle of April and last for up to two months. The smaller Sulphurs (Ephemerella dorothea) start hatching about the last week of May and last through the middle of July. Both are present at times. Gray Drakes hatch in some of the slow water areas from the second week of May through the middle of June. Both Brown and Eastern Green Drakes start hatching in some of the slow water sections the first three weeks of June. From about the middle of May through June, you can find hatches of March Browns and Light Cahills in the fast water areas or riffles. From the first of June through the middle of August, you can find hatches of Gray-winged Yellow Quills. From about the middle of July, all the way to the middle of October, you can find hatches of Tricos in the smoother, slower water. From mid August to mid September, you may find some hatches of White Drakes, or the White Fly. Little Black Caddis (Grannoms), and locally called Apple Caddis, hatch from about the last week of April through the first three weeks of May. The little Short-horned Sedges start a week or two later and last almost two months. From about the middle of May through most of June will find hatches of Spotted Sedges and their Little Sister Caddisflies. Starting about the same time are the very similar Cinnamon Sedges. They will hatch all the way into the first of July. Dark Blue Sedges are very abundant and hatch from the middle of May through the middle of June. Green Sedges start at the same time and last from about six weeks. The larvae of these, called Green Rock Worms, are available for trout to eat all year. Little Brown Stoneflies hatch from the middle of March through the month of May. There are several species, a few of which are almost black. You will find all of the stoneflies in the faster sections of water. The Golden Stoneflies and the Giant Black Stoneflies both start hatching about the first of June and last into the first week or so of July. Terrestrial insects are important beginning about the first of June through most of September. Imitations of ants, beetles and grass hoppers work good during this time, especially during late July, August and early September. Watch for flying ant falls during June. Craneflies are plentiful on the Delaware River and although trout can be caught all year long on their nymphs, the adults are more plentiful from June through October. Midges are present year-round and provide some of the few opportunities to catch trout during the cold months. Minnows, sculpin and baitfish are present year-round. The large brown trout prefer them in many cases. That means streamers are important flies to have on hand. Many of our “Perfect Fly” trout flies were developed on the Delaware River. We used its tough to match the hatch waters for a
testing ground for some of our flies. We not only have the most realistic imitations you can purchase, we also have the most effective trout flies you can use. If you haven’t tried them already, please do. You will be glad you did.
Fishing Report Archives:
01/01/19 The river is high in all sections. We didn’t receive any reports from anyone fishing
this past week. It is really too high to fish and all you can do is give it little time to get back down. Check back with us and check the levels.
01/08/19 All three sections of the river are still too high to be waded. They can be fished from a larger drift boat but we don’t think it would be worth the effort. There is snow forecast everyday but one this coming week.
01/22/19 All three sections are still flowing high. There’s been a lot of rain and snow lately. You could fish the river from a larger drift boat but it would probably be tough. It will be getting much better soon.
02/05/19 Discharges from the West and East Branch dams are still high and the water stained. It is too high to fish very successfully anywhere. There is more rain forecast through Friday and we think it may remain high this coming week.
02/19/19 We didn’t receive any reports from the past week because the stream levels in all three sections are just to high to fish. It should start dropping very soon. Midges and Winter stoneflies are hatching along with some Black flies.
02/28/19 The stream levels in all three sections are still high, too high to wade safely. It could be fishing from a larger drift boat but it would probably be tough fishing. There are still insects hatching. The stream levels just need to drop and that should happen soon.
03/24/19 The stream levels are still high. The West Branch is currently in the best shape, but it is also still a little high, too high to wade safely. Large drift boats could fish the West Branch but not very successfuly. The water and weather is getting a little warmer and it should turn on very soon.
04/09/19 The river is getting into very good shape. The water is getting warmer and new spring hatches will start before you know it. Now it the time to get ready for them. Blue Quills, larger BWOs, Quill Gordons, Little Black caddis, little Brown stoneflies will start when the water reaches or exceeds about 50 degrees for 2 or 3 days in a row.
04/28/19 All three branches of the Delaware River are high, too high to wade and too high to fish from a drift boat in our opinion. It should begin to fall out soon. Check back with us. There will be some good opportunity ahead when the stream levels drop.
05/18/19 Conditions remain about the same. It should start falling in a couple of days. All three branches, the West Branch, East Branch and main stem are all very high and stained. They are currently to high to fish by wading or by boat. There are some new hatches beginning to take place. Check back with us soon.
05/25/19 The stream levels are stil a little too high for good fishing oppoortunity in most areas. The East Branch is in the best shape with lower levels of the three. The West Branch and main stem levels are still too high to wade safely but could be fishing by boat.
06/05/19 The river is still running a little high in the West Branch. The East Branch levels are normal. The mainstem is high but can be fished from driftboats. There are multiple hatches taking place. We will keep you informed.
06/13/19 Both the East and West Branches are still a little high. Some places may be tought to wade safely and others okay. The main stem is high as well but can be fished from a drift boat. There are multiple hatches taking place and good numbers of trout being caught.
06/20/19 The river is very high and highly stained in all sections due to the recent heavy
downpours. There is some more rain in the forecast, but it should fall back down and clear up soon. There are still lots of hatches taking place and fishing will be good again as soon as it gets down
06/29/19 Dischages and stream levels are still high in all sections. There is more rain in the forecast this coming week, so be sure to check the levels. There are multiple hatches taking place and good numbers of trout being caught when the levels allow.
07/06/19 The river is in good shape for the first time in a long time. The levels are all just a little above normal and wading safe with caution in all three sections – West Branch, East Branch and the main stem. There are lots of insects hatching. Terrestrials should also work good. Be sure to keep a close check on our Delaware River fishing report linked above.
07/13/19 The stream levels are down near normal in the East and Main stems of the river. The West branch is running just a little above normal but can be waded with caution. Good numbers of trout are being caught. There are still a lot of hatches taking place and terrestrial imitations are also working.
07/20/19 The West and East Branches are currently both high, a little too high to wade in most places. They should fall back down fast. The main stem is in good shape. There are still lots of very good hatches taking place.
07/27/19 All in all, the river is in good shape. The West Branch is still just a little high but the East Branch and Main stem are near a normal level. Our customers are catching trout in good numbers in all sections.
08/08/19 All three sections are currently a little high. The discharges and levels should be
dropping very soon as today is the last day of rain for the next week. There are still a lot of hatching insects and we were getting good reports from customers before the levels came up recently.
08/15/19 The river is in very good shape. All sections, the main stream, West Branch and East Branch have good stream levels. There are still plenty hatching insects and terrestrials like our Japanese beetles are working good.
08/29/19 All three main sections of the river are in good shape with good stream levels. There are still plenty hatching insects and our terrestrial patterns are also working. The weather is getting cooler and that too, will be a big help.
09/10/19 The river is in good shape in all three sections. The West Branch is a little above
normal but just a little and the others right at a normal level. There are still some good hatches and our terrestrial patterns are working as well.
09/19/19 The West Branch is running a good bit above normal levels but fine for drift boats. The East Branch and main stream are near normal levels. There are still lots of insects hatching and our terrestrial patterns and streamers are still working good
10/02/18 The East and Main stream sections are a little low but the West Branch is normal and where we are getting good reports from. Of course, this is always subject to change so always check the levels..There are still good hatches taking place and our customers are sending in good reports.
10/17/19 The West Branck is alightly below normal level and in good shape. Trout are being
caught there. The Main stream and East Branch are both very high, too high to be worth fishing at the time. They are are falling.
10/30/19 All branches have fallen back down to near normal levels and are in good shape.
Several good hatches are taking place. Midges rigged in tandem are working as well as
Sculpin patterns.
02/19/2020 All three sections of the river are very high, to high to wade safe or fish from a drift boat. They should be falling. The weather should warm up some at the end of this week and conditions change to the good.
03/09/20 The river is still high in all sections. There are some insects hatching including
Winter stoneflies, little BWOs and midges. Fish as soon as the levels come down a little more.
03/26/20 The river is still flowing high in all three major sections, too high to wade safely. Drift boat anglers could fish. There are plenty of midges, little Bwo and winter stoneflies hatching
04/13/20 The stream levels are all runnning high, too high to wade safely. There are sections that can be fished from a driftboat. The weather has turned a little cooler and slowed the spring hatches but they will be coming on strong very soon.
04/26/20 The stream levels are still a little high, too high to wade safely most places, but okay for drift boats. There are some good hatches taking place.
05/09/20 The river is near normal levels in all sections. There are lots of hatches that vary
some with the section. The cool speel will slow it down some but there will be mega hatches next week.
05/26/20 The river is in very good shape in all sections. There are multiple hatches taking
place and dry fly fishing is excellent. It doesn’t get much better than this.
06/06/20 The river is in good shape. The West branch is currently a little above normal level and the East and main stems are at a normal level. There are some very good hatches taking place and our customers are sending in some very good reports.
07/01/11 Conditions remain very good in all three major sections of the river. There are still a lot of insects hatching and dry fly fishing has been very good. Terrestrial imitations are also beginning to work good.
07/11/20 The West Branch is in good shape. The East and Main stem is very high and
stained. There are still a lot of hatching insects and terrestrials are plentiful. We continue to get good reports from our customers.
07/24/20 The West and East branches are in good shape near a normal level as weill as the main srem of the river. We continue to get good reports from Perfect Fly customers. This coming week should be a good one.
08/12/20 Conditions are very good. All three major branches are at a normal level and the
water clear. There are lots of trout being caught by our customers. There are still a lot of
hatching insects and dry fly fishing has been excellent.
08/28/20 The stream levels are okay everywhere but a little high in the East Branch and Main stem. There are still a lot of hatching insects. We continue to get good reports from
customers.
09/04/20 All three sections of the river are running below normal levels. None are too low to
fish and we are still getting good reports from our customers
10/16/20 The West Branch is running a little high, the East Branch low and the main stream at a normal level. We have been getting some good reports from customers. There are still some good hatches and our sculpin streamers are catching some nice ones.