Mayflies
Caddisflies
The Genesee runs salmon and steelhead into the heart of Rochester, where the fish gather in the lower gorge below the falls. Big urban water with a real run and a gritty, accessible character.
- Mixed
Rules at a glance
- Free fishing
- Fly only
Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow18°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown 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 21.5°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Likely species
Mayflies
Caddisflies
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 12pm
12pm(now) — Grasshopper (Eastern)
Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 68%
Also:Reed Smut31%
Peak emergence windowWeather boostDegree-days at peak5 food groups active
Peak activity at 12pm — Grasshopper (Eastern) (Grasshopper (Eastern), Peak emergence window)
Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface
Hatch predictions
See the full sub-surface read with Pro.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)
Hatch predictions
Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
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
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Quill GordonHatch
2
2
Blue QuillHatch
2
3
2
HendricksonHatch
2
2
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
- New York licence; verify NY DEC rules and gorge access
- Introduced, harvestable sport fishery.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 1
Water here at 21.5°C — the fishing's alive, but these are cooler if you'd rather rest the warm water.
Gallery · 2
The Genesee River carving through the shale gorge of Letchworth State Park, New York. Terrain map
About this water
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
- Aquatic life: Impaired
What this classification means
EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Genesee River, Lower, Main Stem' (NY0401-0001), 2022 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Metals Other Than Mercury, Pathogens, Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs, Pesticides, Dioxins. 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) · NY0401-0001
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 80%
How the 6 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature3 × 28%0.8
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time50 × 13%6.5
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity63 × 12%7.6
Limiting factor: Water temperature (21.5°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 55
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Related guides
Booking & contacts
Genesee River
The Genesee runs salmon and steelhead into the heart of Rochester, where the fish gather in the lower gorge below the falls.
Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow18°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown 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 21.5°C — above the brown trout caution line (18°C). Fish dawn or dusk only. Land it fast, wet hands, no air shots.
Likely species
Mayflies
Caddisflies
Hatch timeline · tomorrowPeak at 12pm
12pm(now) — Grasshopper (Eastern)
Stage: Terrestrials on topApproach: Dry flyActivity: 68%
Also:Reed Smut31%
Peak emergence windowWeather boostDegree-days at peak5 food groups active
Peak activity at 12pm — Grasshopper (Eastern) (Grasshopper (Eastern), Peak emergence window)
Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface
Hatch predictions
See the full sub-surface read with Pro.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)
Hatch predictions
Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.
Start free trial14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
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
Brown DunHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Quill GordonHatch
2
2
Blue QuillHatch
2
3
2
HendricksonHatch
2
2
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
- New York licence; verify NY DEC rules and gorge access
- Introduced, harvestable sport fishery.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 1
Water here at 21.5°C — the fishing's alive, but these are cooler if you'd rather rest the warm water.
Gallery · 2
The Genesee River carving through the shale gorge of Letchworth State Park, New York. Terrain map
About this water
The Genesee runs salmon and steelhead into the heart of Rochester, where the fish gather in the lower gorge below the falls. Big urban water with a real run and a gritty, accessible character.
- Mixed
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
- Aquatic life: Impaired
What this classification means
EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Genesee River, Lower, Main Stem' (NY0401-0001), 2022 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Metals Other Than Mercury, Pathogens, Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCBs, Pesticides, Dioxins. 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) · NY0401-0001
The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 80%
How the 6 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature3 × 28%0.8
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time50 × 13%6.5
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity63 × 12%7.6
Limiting factor: Water temperature (21.5°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 55
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Related guides
Booking & contacts