Author: Jeff White
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 5, 2018
Most of the thunderstorms missed us yesterday. We had the cloud cover and wind gusts from them but not much else until 8:30. At that time we were hit by a pretty violent one that lasted less than 15 minutes. Everything came through fine. The rivers are in great shape this morning. Flows are still dropping. Cannonsville and Pepacton are both still spilling but that is coming close to an end as long as we don’t get any rain storms over the next few days. We’re still fishing a mix of nymphs, streamers, and dry flies. There are more hendricksons showing up every day along with blue quills and caddis. We have sun this morning that may give way to some afternoon clouds. The wind should drop in the afternoon.
Geoff on the West Branch. Photo by Bruce Miller
Hatching:
Hendrickson #12 – 16 – E. subvaria
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,690 cfs | 41° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,020 cfs | 43° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 968 cfs | 47° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,890 cfs | 52° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 4,360 cfs | 51° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 730 cfs | 54° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 210 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 46° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,230 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 100.8% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.3% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 4, 2018
Yesterday’s brief, heavy rain didn’t affect the flows. The Beaverkill is starting off the same as yesterday morning while the East Branch, West Branch, and Mainstem all dropped slightly overnight. The only river that had an increase in flow is the West Branch above Cannonsville Reservoir. The best wading is going to be on the Beaverkill and Willowemoc. There are some places on the other rivers that are wadeable in high water – just look for the big pools with gravel bars and wide tailouts. Just be careful. There were some fish landed on dry flies yesterday but not as many as we expected. A lot of came to the net on nymphs and streamers. Everyday we expect these rivers to break wide open with dry fly fishing. It’s been getting better gradually but it has to be close to being great. Water temperatures are looking good and have been holding for a couple of days. We may see a thunderstorm today but the forecasted rain totals are less than 1/4″. The air temp will be in the high 70’s o we will get a little fog on the river if it rains.
Kevin with a brown. Photo by Bruce
Tony with a nice rainbow yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen
Hatching:
Hendrickson #12 – 16 – E. subvaria (Just starting)
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,710 cfs | 43° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,070 cfs | 43° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 979 cfs | 46° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,950 cfs | 52° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 4,530 cfs | 51° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 793 cfs | 54° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 232 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 45° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,400 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 100.9% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.2% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 3, 2018
Summer arrived yesterday. It was hot out there wearing waders. The hatching seemed to be sporadic in a lot of pools. Some places had decent bugs while others seemed devoid of life. The combo of sun and wind was letting the mayflies get off the water quickly. There is still a lot of water flowing through the system so look for the slower pools, tailouts, and edges. Streamer fishing was a good option due to the wind. Today looks like a classic Delaware fishing day. We should see some clouds roll in today with a little rain from thunderstorms. Winds from the South. Hopefully the rain and clouds keep the mayflies on the water longer. The Beaverkill, lower East Branch, and Mainstem are all starting off at 50 degrees or warmer today. The West Branch is warming up a little slower than the other rivers due to the release and spill but is still starting off at 45 degrees here in Hancock. The bugs have to be ready to explode.
Tony with a good fish yesterday. Photo by Steve shen
Tony again yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen
Hatching:
Hendrickson #12 – 16 – E. subvaria (Just starting)
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,790 cfs | 41° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,130 cfs | 42° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,010 cfs | 45° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,970 cfs | 51° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 4,740 cfs | 50° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 793 cfs | 52° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 280 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 45° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,110 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 101.1% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.3% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 2, 2018
Yesterday was as beautiful as advertised. Sunshine with a few clouds. The sunshine helped the water temperatures and most rivers are starting off warmer today. Blue Quills, Quill Gordons, Black Caddis, and some Hendricksons are out there. People are nymphing, throwing streamers, and fishing for risers at this point. Things are just getting started and should get really good as the water temps continue to climb. The air temperature will be pushing 80 degrees today with sunshine. The water temps on the Beaverkill, lower East Branch, lower West Branch, and Mainstem should jump by mid afternoon. We may have some clouds roll in by late evening. Winds will be from the South.
Larry with a nice one! Photo by Bruce Miller
Jack as the sun sets. Photo by Samantha Dennis
Hatching:
Hendrickson #12 – 16 – E. subvaria (Just starting)
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,890 cfs | 43° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,280 cfs | 42° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,250 cfs | 42° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,380 cfs | 47° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 5,270 cfs | 46° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 911 cfs | 47° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 393 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 43° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,360 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 101.2% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.5% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 1, 2018
May is finally here but with mid June weather. Today will be in the low 70’s with the night time temps staying in the 50’s. It’s kind of odd after yesterday’s snow showers but we’ll take it. Looking at the long term forecast we should have great weather going forward. Caddis, blue quills, and Quill Gordons will make up the main hatch. There are a few hendricksons around too so carry that box with you too. They’re coming. We’re seeing a good mix of streamer and dry fly fishing now. The warmer weather should help push the hatches. The rivers are still up a bit but people are finding wadeable water in spots. The Willowemoc and Beaverkill are beginning to look good and a few high water wade spots on the WB should start to come into there own soon.
Dave on the West yesterday. Photo by Bruce Miller
Hatching:
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,920 cfs | 40° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,390 cfs | 40° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,320 cfs | 40° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,560 cfs | 42° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 5,710 cfs | 42° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,040 cfs | 41° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 429 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 40° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,450 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 101.1% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.1% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 30, 2018
We woke up to a nice mix of light snow and rain this morning. It’s not sticking here in the lower elevations but you can see it on the trees on the ridges so be careful if you’re driving in early. It won’t last long as the air temperatures climbs up close to 50 degrees today. Tomorrow we’ll have sun and 70 degrees. The sunshine and warmer temps should warm the water pushing the bugs this week. We’re still seeing blue quills, caddis, stoneflies, and Quill Gordons. There have been a few hendricksons spotted but not in great numbers. That hatch will get stronger as the rivers warm. Streamer fishing was the most productive method over the weekend but there were fish caught on dry flies. There are enough bugs out there that the fish are going to start looking up very soon.
Bob with a nice fish last week. Photo by Bruce Miller
Hatching:
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,920 cfs | 40° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,420 cfs | 40° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,270 cfs | 40° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,560 cfs | 43° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 5,760 cfs | 43° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,040 cfs | 43° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 438 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 41° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,350 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 101.1% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.1% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 29, 2018
Yesterday was a bit like the previous day. Most people seemed to be throwing streamers and some people were able to find a few dry fly targets. It was a beautiful day out there, especially when the sun was shining. The people doing well on streamers seem to be covering a lot of water and finding the aggressive fish. Fly color has also been a topic of discussion. Darker streamers seem to be favored right now. Today will be a cooler with a slight chance of rain. The clouds will be here all day. Winds will be coming from the north around 10 mph. Dress appropriately. The weather really improves beginning Tuesday and we’ll have days in the 70’s and nights in the 50’s.
Brad with a nice brown. Photo by Steve Shen
Hatching:
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,980 cfs | 41° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,510 cfs | 41° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,270 cfs | 42° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,800 cfs | 46° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 5,910 cfs | 46° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,270 cfs | 47° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 476 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 43° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,340 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 101.1% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.1% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 28, 2018
There was actually some dry fly action yesterday! Caddis, blue quills, and olives were out. There have been a few hendricksons spotted but nothing crazy. One here and one there. You had to work and have a little luck to find the risers but they were there. Most people are still throwing streamers in the high water. Today looks a little better with a forecast of 63 degrees and some sunshine. We should have some clouds roll in and a small afternoon shower. The river flows came up a bit after yesterday’s rain and both Pepacton and Cannonsville Reservoirs are spilling. The Beaverkill and Willowemoc will drop back to normal flows first but that will take a day or two.
Art with his dry fly fish!
George with a dry fly fish yesterday
Hatching:
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,960 cfs | 41° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,620 cfs | 41° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,240 cfs | 42° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,800 cfs | 44° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 6,500 cfs | 44° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,220 cfs | 45° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 473 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 43° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,710 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 101.1% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.1% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 27, 2018
Things seemed to pick up a bit yesterday. There were some fish landed on most river sections. Streamers seemed to be the most productive method but there were a few fish looking up during the warmest part of the day. The wind was tough at times but the cloud cover was certainly welcome for the fishing. It’s going to be cooler today with around 1/4″ of rain falling. The rain looks light and spread out through the day ending around 5 pm. Today’s wind looks much better than we’ve seen all week staying around 6 mph from the South. The Upper East and West Branch flows seem to be holding steady this morning. The Beaverkill is dropping so the lower East is dropping. The daytime and nighttime temperatures warm up a lot early next week. That should do wonders for the water temperatures and push the bugs.
Rocky with a great fish to start the year. Photo by Art Bartholomew
Chris with a great fish yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen
Hatching:
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 0 Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,850 cfs | 39° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,570 cfs | 41° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,030 cfs | 42° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,290 cfs | 45° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 5,810 cfs | 45° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,040 cfs | 44° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 240 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 44° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,380 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 100.9% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 26, 2018
We had rain most of the day yesterday. While we didn’t have any crazy downpours the steady rain increased the flows on all of the rivers. We shouldn’t see any more rain today. The sun should show itself for a bit today with air temperatures in the mid 50’s. There have been more and more caddis, blue quills, and olives on the water so bring a dry fly rig despite the higher flows, you may get lucky. Most people will be fishing streamers today. The water temps on the East Branch and Mainstem are starting off in the mid 40’s this morning. Play around with different sizes and colors of streamers but definitely have some darker flies. There is a little more rain in the forecast for the weekend but hopefully that changes. Wading is not an option today. It looks like the Beaverkill flow has peaked so hopefully it drops fast. Keep an eye on the Stilesville and Downsville flows since Cannonsville and Pepacton are spilling or very close to spilling.
Hatching:
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 0 Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,690 cfs | 41° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,590 cfs | 42° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,020 cfs | 44° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,740 cfs | 47° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 6,420 cfs | 46° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,460 cfs | 47° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 240 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 44° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 2,010 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 100.4% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 99.8% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 25, 2018
We’re getting some light rain this morning with around .31″ left to come. It seems like Wunderground has dropped the rain total in the forecast. The Beaverkill and lower East Branch have a small bump showing on the gauge this morning but so far not enough to matter. The upper East Branch is holding steady at 900 cfs. The level of Pepacton Reservoir has dropped to 99.9%. That’s worth watching if it drops a little more. The spill over Cannonsville dam has decreased to 85 cfs this morning. The water temps are finally climbing to good numbers with the lower EB and the Beaverkill both peaking over 50 degrees. It looks like the daytime air temps will drop a bit over the next few days but will still be in the 50’s. It finally feels like Spring is here.
Water temps are finally looking really good
Hatching:
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 0 Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,550 cfs | 40° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 1,880 cfs | 41° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 900 cfs | 44° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,750 cfs | 48° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 4,060 cfs | 47° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 730 cfs | 48° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 85 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 43° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 790 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 100.8% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 99.9% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 24, 2018
Today looks like a good day to be on the water. The sun is out now but we should have some clouds rolling in the afternoon. The air temperature will be around 60 degrees. All of the flows dropped a little throughout the system. Pepacton Reservoir is down to 100.1% capacity. The Beaverkill, lower East Branch and Mainstem have the best temperatures to start off the day between 44 and 45 degrees. That’s the best we’ve seen this season. If the sun sticks around long enough those should shoot up to good levels today. There are decent numbers of little black caddis and some blue quills around but streamers and nymphs will be most effective until the water warms up. We should see some rain tonight and tomorrow but the amount in the forecast has been decreasing. Hopefully most of it will shift away from us.
Bob handed over the new boat to Chris to row George and Ebby for a bit
Hatching:
Blue Quills #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia adoptiva
Quill Gordon #14 0 Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Little Black Caddis #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Early Black Stoneflies #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx sp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,690 cfs | 39° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,040 cfs | 40° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 900 cfs | 41° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,770 cfs | 45° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 4,320 cfs | 44° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 730 cfs | 44° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs | Spill = 224 cfs |
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 41° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 827 cfs | |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 101.2% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.1% |