Fly Fishing New York: Guides, Rivers, Seasons and Tips
Location Details / New York
Fly Fishing New York: Guides, Rivers, Seasons and Tips
New York fly fishing splits three ways: Catskill trout on the West Branch Delaware, Beaverkill and Willowemoc; Lake Ontario tributaries such as the Salmon River at Pulaski for fall salmon and winter steelhead; and the West Branch Ausable in the Adirondacks. Most trout streams run April 1 to October 15, then catch and release.
New York packs technical Delaware dry fly water, historic Catskill freestones, a Lake Ontario salmon and steelhead run, Adirondack pocket water and a Montauk fall run into one state. Rules change by reach, so this page leans on New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) regulations and on what our podcast guests have said.
The New York story in our archive with the deepest roots is a history lesson. David Lehmann, a Rochester geologist and antique tackle historian, told the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast in May 2023 how he walked into the Big Springs Museum in Caledonia after lunch and found a room devoted to Seth Green, with three old reels in a case. His research tied them to Green, whom he credits with hatchery trout propagation and with first bringing brown trout to the United States. Caledonia also has Spring Creek and the hatchery Green founded, which Lehmann described as the oldest in the Western Hemisphere still operating. It is a short detour for anyone fishing Western New York.
Top species
Wild brown and rainbow trout, brook trout, steelhead, chinook and coho salmon; striped bass and false albacore in the salt
Best months
Late April to June and September for Catskill and Delaware trout; mid-September to October for Salmon River salmon; November to April for steelhead
Top waters
West Branch Delaware and the Upper Delaware, Beaverkill, Willowemoc Creek, Salmon River, West Branch Ausable
License and regs
NYSDEC fishing licenses; a freshwater license is required from age 16, and marine fishing needs a separate registration
Nearest airports
Albany (ALB) and New York Stewart (SWF) for the Catskills; Syracuse (SYR) for Pulaski; Plattsburgh (PBG) for the Adirondacks
Rule to know
From October 16 to March 31 most trout streams are catch and release, artificial lures only; designated catch and release reaches are open all year
Where to Fly Fish in New York
West Branch Delaware and the Upper Delaware System
The West Branch flows out of Cannonsville Reservoir at Deposit and joins the East Branch at Hancock to form the main stem along the Pennsylvania border. DEC lists two catch and release miles below the Route 17 bridge at Deposit; the border section allows one trout per day, any size, April 1 to October 15.
Bill Longstreet, who guides the Upper Delaware for Joe Demalderis, told the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast in 2024 that the hatches are so heavy the trout never have to scrounge, so they get selective. His fixes: fish rising trout downstream so the fly arrives before the tippet, learn the reach cast, and cast 40 to 45 feet accurately by midsummer. His dry fly calendar runs Hendricksons from late April, then March Browns and Drakes, then Isonychia from June to the end of October.
Beaverkill and Willowemoc Creek (Catskills)
The Willowemoc meets the Beaverkill at Roscoe, the core of Catskill dry fly tradition. DEC designates 3.5 miles of the Willowemoc above the second Route 17 bridge east of Roscoe as catch and release, artificial lures only, all year, and the Beaverkill has two similar reaches below Roscoe and around the Iron Bridge at Horton. From that bridge to the first Route 17 overpass, fishing is prohibited July 1 through August 31 to protect thermally stressed trout.
Salmon River (Pulaski)
The Salmon River runs 17 miles from Altmar to Lake Ontario, with 12 miles open under public fishing rights. DEC says chinook usually enter around Labor Day, brown trout run mid-September to mid-November, and steelhead enter from late October through spring. Of the two fly-fishing-only, catch and release areas near Altmar, the lower one normally opens September 15 and the upper one is open April 1 to November 30. In September 2026 DEC kept the lower area closed past that date because of low, warm water, so check before you drive.
West Branch Ausable (Adirondacks)
The West Branch Ausable runs past Lake Placid and Wilmington. DEC designates two catch and release, artificial-lures-only reaches open all year: from the Route 86 bridge at the Flume up to the Whiteface Ski Center bridge, and from a DEC sign 2.2 miles below Monument Falls up to Holcomb Pond Outlet.
Great Lakes Tributaries
Oak Orchard Creek below Waterport Dam and Lake Erie's Cattaraugus Creek also draw steelhead and lake-run browns. Seasonal tributary rules apply September 1 to March 31: one single-point hook with a gap no wider than half an inch, no snagging, and in tributaries a 25-inch minimum and one steelhead per day.
Also worth the drive
- Montauk: Captain Tim O'Rourke says the fall run pushes stripers, false albacore and bluefish past the point, and bait decides each season.
- Jamaica Bay, New York City: Joel Stoehr, who grew up fishing the Catskills, fly fishes stripers and bluefish here and says the water is clearest in early spring and late fall.
When to Go Fly Fishing in New York
For Catskill and Delaware trout, late April through June is hatch season and September brings Isonychia. Salmon River chinook peak from mid-September to mid-October, and steelhead fish from November into April. Treat this table as general guidance built from DEC season dates and run timing and from our guests' trips.
| Target | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Branch and Upper Delaware | ||||||||||||
| Beaverkill and Willowemoc | ||||||||||||
| Salmon River salmon | ||||||||||||
| Lake Ontario tributary steelhead | ||||||||||||
| West Branch Ausable |
Intensity:LightModerateHeavy
Blank cells mean closed or not worth planning around. Salmon River access can change at short notice, so check DEC the week you travel.
Book a Local Pro in New York
Guide or lodge in New York? Get listed. No FFIP Certified guide, lodge or outfitter is in New York yet. Put your guide service, lodge or outfitter in front of the anglers planning trips here.
Market Your ServicesBrowse every FFIP Certified pro in the guides and lodges directory.
Custom Flies and Rods from New York
Independent New York fly tyers selling through their own sites:
- Creekside Angler (TheAnglersNet), Albany
- Thomas Fly & Tackle, Lake Placid
- Fly On The Water, New York
- Fly Enthusiast, Rochester
- Dette Flies, Livingston Manor
- First Cast Flies (Fred Schroeder)
- Bunker Fly (Capt. Joe Mattioli), New York
New York rod builders selling through their own sites:
- Little River Rods (Dennis W. Menscer), Hancock
- W. Jude Fly Rod Company, Ballston Spa
- Hudson Valley Rod Co.
- JP Ross Fly Rods & Co., Utica
- Brandin Split-Cane Rods, Pleasantville: split cane rods.
Tie flies or build rods in New York? Get listed. Put your work in front of the anglers planning New York trips.
Get ListedNew York Tips from Podcast Guests
-
Fish a nymph-heavy dry dropper on a tight-line grid through riffles
Broken Delaware riffles hide presentation flaws that flat pools expose.
Bill Longstreet, Delaware River guide -
Learn the curve, reach and aerial mend casts
The reach cast is the Delaware essential.
Herbert "Bert" Ley, Utah stream access advocate, on Episode 127 -
Approach spring creek pools from downstream, bottom to top
Clear spring creek water punishes a careless approach.
Mel Hayner, Minnesota driftless-region guide and shop owner -
Stop bombing casts: steelhead sit closer than you think
Cover the middle of the run before the far bank.
Jeff Liskay, Ohio steelhead and musky guide, on Episode 90 -
Mend upstream to sink your swung fly
In cold tributary water, get the fly down before it swings.
Roger Hinchcliff, Great Lakes steelhead angler, on Episode 88
Want more? Browse every tip in the Fly Fishing Tips Library, sorted by region, water type, species and skill.
Hear New York on the Podcast
Catching Fish on a Difficult Fishery and a Dry Dropper Tip: Bill Longstreet on selective Upper Delaware trout. Read the episode notes.
Bamboo Rods, Historical Reels, and the Caledonia Museum Trout Festival: David Lehmann on Seth Green's reels and buying split bamboo. Read the episode notes.
Also worth a listen: Joe Demalderis on The Upper Delaware and Fly Fishing with Emerger Flies, Captain Tim O'Rourke on Fly Fishing for Albies or Albacore on the Fly, and Joel Stoehr on going from Catskill trout to New York City stripers.
Shop the Water: Flies and Gear for New York
Everything below is in stock in the FFIP shop: Catskill and Delaware hatch flies first, then riffle nymphs, tributary eggs and streamers, a saltwater baitfish fly and a dry fly leader.
Hendrickson CDC Emerger
Dark Hendrickson, Size 14
March Brown, Size 12
Green Drake Paradrake
Isonychia Drake Nymph
Black Elk Hair Caddis, Size 14
March Brown Soft Hackle Wet Fly
Black Perdigon Jig Nymph, Size 16
Bead Head Hot Orange Egg
Clouser Minnow Freshwater Assortment
Clouser Deep Minnow, Chartreuse White 1/0
theDRIFTER Furled Dry Fly Leader
New York Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
How much is a nonresident New York fishing license?
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation lists a nonresident annual fishing license at $50, a 7-day license at $28 and a 1-day license at $10. Anyone 16 or older needs one for freshwater fishing, and saltwater fishing needs a separate marine registration. Confirm fees before you buy.
When is trout season in New York?
On most New York trout streams the season runs April 1 to October 15. From October 16 to March 31 those streams stay open as catch and release with artificial lures only. Designated catch and release reaches, such as parts of the Beaverkill, Willowemoc and West Branch Ausable, are open all year.
When do salmon and steelhead run the Salmon River?
DEC says chinook salmon usually enter the Salmon River around Labor Day, with the peak run in the second half of September and first half of October. Brown trout run from mid-September to mid-November. Steelhead enter from late October through spring and spawn mostly from mid-March to early April.
Is the Upper Delaware too hard for a newer angler?
It is demanding but worth it. Guide Bill Longstreet says the hatches are so heavy that trout get selective, so presentation matters most. His advice for newer anglers: fish broken riffle water, where turbulence hides small mistakes, and practise casting in the yard for five minutes a day.
Do I need permission to fish New York trout streams?
Much New York stream frontage is private, so stick to marked public access. DEC publishes Public Fishing Rights maps for many streams, and 12 miles of the Salmon River are open under public fishing rights. Some special-regulation reaches, such as the Neversink River Unique Area, exclude stretches where fishing rights are privately owned.
West Branch Delaware or Beaverkill: which should I fish first?
For wild trout and long hatch seasons, start on the West Branch and Upper Delaware, ideally from a drift boat with a guide. For history and year-round catch and release water, start on the Beaverkill and Willowemoc around Roscoe. Both fit in one trip, but skip the Beaverkill's Horton reach in July and August.
Book the season you actually want
The best weeks go first, and the difference between a good trip and a great one is usually timing. Tell us the season you want and we'll find the water that fishes then.
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Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed October 2026.
Prices, availability, flight routing and entry requirements change. Every figure on this page is the starting rate published by the lodge or by Frontiers International Travel at the time of writing, per angler, and is a starting point for a quote, not a quote. Seasons, lodge capacity, charter schedules, visa and passport rules and license requirements can all change without notice. Confirm current pricing, availability and entry requirements with your Frontiers specialist before you book anything.
Sources: License fees: NYSDEC Fishing Licenses. Trout seasons, limits and catch and release reaches: NYSDEC Inland Trout Stream Special Regulations. Tributary gear rules: NYSDEC Great Lakes and Tributaries Special Regulations. Salmon River runs and fly areas: NYSDEC Salmon River and NYSDEC, September 2026. Guest insights: Bill Longstreet, Joe Demalderis, David Lehmann, Captain Tim O'Rourke and Joel Stoehr on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast.