The East Branch is a cold tailwater driven by Pepacton Reservoir releases — the release schedule and temperature decide whether it fishes, and like all these rivers the water can rise fast on a release. It runs colder up near Downsville and warms as it heads down toward Hancock and the main stem, so the reach you pick is a temperature decision. 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. Confirm current NY DEC regulations before you go.