Reservoir Tailwater · Hudson Highlands Metamorphic · New York

West Branch Croton River

West Branch Croton River terrain map
Poor · Rainbow Trout
Sulphur Comparadun · 16-18
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River dropping into shape after a lift. Not much stacked in your favour today. Worth an hour if you are nearby, not worth the special trip.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelVery heavy rain recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp22.2°C
  • ClarityClearing
Today's fly
SC
Sulphur Comparadun16-18
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Very heavy rain recently
No gauge reading
Water temp22.2°C
ClarityClearing
Weather23°C
WindS 6 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent76.5 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for Rainbow Trout
Warm — slow
22°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
Water at 22.2°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Quill GordonHatch
2
2
Blue QuillHatch
2
3
2
HendricksonHatch
2
2
Eastern March BrownHatch
2
2

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

Ranked for today
Rainbow Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • New York licence required
  • Verify DEC category, mapped access and any watershed rules before launch.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 22°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Not assessed
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'West Branch Croton R, Middle, and tribs' (NY1302-0093), 2022 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Insufficient Information. 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) · NY1302-0093

The full read · show the working · for Rainbow Trout · confidence 90%
How the 15 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature9 × 28%2.5
Flow95 × 22%20.9
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time50 × 13%6.5
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity46 × 12%5.5
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22.2°C) is outside Rainbow Trout's preferred range (10–18°C)= 56
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–18 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April → 15 October
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts