Tailwater · Sandstone Shale · New York, US

West Branch Delaware River

West Branch Delaware River terrain map
Today · Not the day for it
Czech Nymph
Forecast · Today
Not the day for it
Not much stacked in your favour today. Worth an hour if you are nearby, not worth the special trip.
45% projected
Today's fly
Czech Nymph
Czech Nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
1.14 m
Lifting fast
Water temp13.2°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather22°C
WindN 17 km/h
Pressure1015 hPa
Rain · recent19.2 mm
Rain · ahead0.1 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Rainbow Trout
Ideal
13°C est.ideal 10–18°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Rainbow Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water temperature is right today, though water clarity could be better.
Likely species
terrestrials
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12pm

12pm(now) — Eastern Blue-Winged Olive

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 30%
Also:Reed Smut23%
Peak emergence window5 food groups active

Peak activity at 12pm — Eastern Blue-Winged Olive (Eastern Blue-Winged Olive, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
SulphurHatch
2
3
2
Trico (Eastern)Hatch
2
3
3
2
Eastern Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Eastern Summer BWO (Drunella)Hatch
2
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow Trout fly box
Local fly shops: Dette Flies·Beaverkill Angler
Beats · 4 · 1 reaches

The West Branch is a cold tailwater driven entirely by Cannonsville Reservoir releases — the schedule and the release temperature, not the weather, decide whether and how it fishes, and the water can rise fast when a release comes on. It's NY/PA border water from Hale Eddy down: a New York or Pennsylvania license is valid, with the Delaware border-water trout regulation (April 1–Oct 15, one trout daily; Oct 16–Mar 31 catch-and-release, artificial lures only). Public access is real but the frontage is largely private — New York Public Fishing Rights are 33-foot bank easements, not a right to cross land — so use the marked NY DEC access points and launches. Confirm current NY DEC / PA FBC regulations before you go.

West Branch tailwater · 4 beatsDay rods
Deposit / Stilesville (upper West Branch), Hale Eddy, Lower West Branch / Hancock, West Branch Angler Resort (guide & lodging)
The 4 beats
Deposit / Stilesville (upper West Branch)Public
NY DEC public access + private frontage (Cannonsville release)
The cold tailwater core right below Cannonsville — the most release-driven, and often the most reliable summer water on the system, with major hatches and large, selective wild fish. Walk-and-wade and drift-boat water with NY DEC access points; the frontage between them is private.
Dam-release dependent — flow, temperature and wading safety follow the Cannonsville release; water rises fast on a release. Public water with private bank between access points (PFR 33-ft easements). Verify NY DEC reach regulations.
Hale EddyPublic
NY DEC public access + private frontage
A key access node and the main conditions reference for the West Branch, with a NY DEC launch and walk-and-wade water. Cold release water that fishes long and late into the summer, with the same big, educated wild browns and rainbows.
Dam-release dependent — read the Cannonsville release schedule and temperature, not the sky. NY/PA border water from here down: NY or PA license valid; Delaware border-water trout regulation applies. Public water, private bank between access points.
Lower West Branch / HancockPublic
NY/PA border water — NY DEC / PA FBC, mixed access
The transitional lower reach down to the Hancock confluence where the West Branch meets the East Branch — superb in the right window but more temperature-dependent as it warms toward the junction. Drift-boat and wade water; access is mixed public and private.
Border water — NY or PA license valid; Delaware border-water trout regulation (Apr 1–Oct 15 one trout; Oct 16–Mar 31 C&R artificial-only). Warms toward the junction — mind water temperature and don't crowd fish stacking at the cold confluence. Public water, private bank between access points.
West Branch Angler Resort (guide & lodging)Guide / lodge
West Branch Angler Resort
A riverside resort and guide service on the West Branch offering guided fly-fishing trips, lodging and a fly shop — a service and access layer for visiting anglers, not the controller of the public river. Guided trips wade or drift depending on daily conditions.
Resort property is fly-only and zero-limit catch-and-release for trout; guided trips are fly fishing and catch-and-release only. This is a guide/lodging route onto public water, not a private claim over the branch. Verify current services and rates directly.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • NY/PA border tailwater with special regs and licence nuance
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 4
East Branch Delaware River
15 km
75
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Upper Main Stem Delaware River
21 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Beaverkill
39 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Willowemoc Creek
47 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Not assessed
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'West Branch Delaware, Lower, Main Stem' (NY1404-0002), 2022 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Insufficient Information. Listed impairment causes: Hydrologic Alteration. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · NY1404-0002

The full read · show the working · for Rainbow Trout · confidence 65%
How the 70 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow55 × 22%12.1
Clarity45 × 18%8.1
Feeding Time80 × 13%10.4
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity52 × 12%6.2
Conditions total= 70
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts