Author: Jeff White
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 11, 2017
Yesterday was another good day of strong hendrickson hatches. Again we saw decent numbers of caddis and blue quills but the hendricksons overshadowed them. We are also beginning to see some March Browns on some sections so things are really looking good for the next few days. Flows are still dropping back slowly but more water is wadeable each day. Floating is still the best option the West but the East side and Beaverkill system are beginning to look real good. Air temperatures will be close to 60 today, winds around 5 mph, and good cloud cover. Things look really good today.
Nick with a nice rainbow yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18-20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,670 cfs |
51° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,150 cfs |
48° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 849 cfs | 47° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,600 cfs |
47° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 5,110 cfs |
49° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 695 cfs | 46° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 475 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 47° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 963 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 102.6% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.4% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 10, 2017
Blanket hendricksons.
There were some caddis and blue quills yesterday but they were overshadowed by a memorable hendrickson hatch that covered some sections the water. The fish were up and everything was right with the world. There’s really not much more to say about yesterday. The flows are dropping back – especially on the East Branch drainage and more water is becoming wadeable. The Beaverkill, Willowemoc, and Neversink are still the best wade bets but keep an eye on the Fishs Eddy gauge over the next few days as flows continue to drop. Today looks nice with air temperatures in the 50’s, sun mixed with clouds, and winds under 10 mph.
Mike with a chunky brown yesterday. Photo by Jared Makowski
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18-20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,870 cfs |
51° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,510 cfs |
48° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,070 cfs | 45° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,860 cfs |
47° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 6,010 cfs |
48° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 782 cfs | 45° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 475 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 48° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,260 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 102.8% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.6% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 9, 2017
The rivers are still dropping back this morning and it looks like no rain in the forecast until some light showers on Friday. The air temperatures are down a bit but the hendricksons and blue quills are still hatching and fish are still eating them off the surface in the afternoon. We will see some sun over the next few days which should help warm the water temperatures a bit and maybe push the hatching a little earlier. It should also make the caddis a little more active and we may see some egg layers in the afternoon. Streamers have been catching fish before the hatches start. Winds look light today peaking around 8 mph.
Nick was doing well yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18-20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 2,100 cfs |
50° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,930 cfs |
47° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,380 cfs | 45° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,230 cfs |
45° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 7,090 cfs |
47° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 888 cfs | 44° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 475 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 47° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,260 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 102.9% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 100.8% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 8, 2017
The water levels are dropping today since the rain stopped but the East Branch drainage is dropping faster than the West. We are still seeing hendricksons, blue quills, and caddis hatch in the high water. You have to hunt to find the slower pools and tailouts where the fish will rise. Streamers may be a good option today while the water temps try to come up. Today looks like a cool day with some rain. We should be on a warming trend beginning tomorrow but staying cooler than what we’ve been used to. The water and cool air temperatures should keep the hatches going longer and carry us over with cold water and decent flows through at least next week.
Theo with a nice brown yesterday. Photo by Dan Treadwell
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18-20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 2,250 cfs |
49° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 3,430 cfs |
47° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 1,790 cfs | 45° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 2,800 cfs |
46° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 8,590 cfs |
47° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,050 cfs | 45° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 475 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 47° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,480 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 102.6% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 101.2% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 7, 2017
Yesterday morning there was a brief, heavy storm that dropped rain somewhere along Oquaga Creek. We never got a drop here but by mid morning the West Branch came up and had color in it that eventually made it’s way all the way down the Mainstem. The bugs still hatched and the fish still ate in the slower pools and edges. We were seeing good numbers of blue quills and hendricksons. Everything looks clearer this morning and definitely fishable. Most of the off color water seems to be pushing through the lower Mainstem this morning while things look good up here on the West, East, and Upper Main. The bugs will come so it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. The best wading is still on the Beaverkill / Willowemoc systems and the Neversink.
Peter with a nice one yesterday. Photo by Steve Shen
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18-20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 2,290 cfs |
51° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 3,870 cfs |
49° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 2,180 cfs | 48° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 3,450 cfs |
49° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 10,100 cfs |
50° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,160 cfs | 49° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 475 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 49° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,760 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 102.6% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 6, 2017
So that was an odd storm. We sat in normal rain and winds all day while violent storms hit East and West of us. There were actually decent numbers of blue quills and hendricksons hatching with fish eating them later in the afternoon. The rain was steady but never really came down hard. The flows are up a bit this morning but the West Branch looks good and definitely fishable by boat. We got lucky on this one. Water temperatures are similar to yesterday mornings with no real change. Air temperatures are a comfortable 60 degrees today. We may have some afternoon winds but so far they look manageable. If you are wading sections of the Willowemoc should be okay and the Neversink at Bridgeville is flowing at 316 cfs and dropping back to normal quickly.
Steve with a nice streamer fish this week. Photo by Bob Lewis
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – 18 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18-20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 2,160 cfs |
52° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 3,049 cfs |
48° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 2,510 cfs | 48° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 4,000 cfs |
49° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 9,440 cfs |
50° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,320 cfs | 49° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 475 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 50° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,760 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 102.6% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 101% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 5, 2017
Yesterday ended up being really good with decent hatching and rising fish. We’re still seeing a mix of blue quills, hendricksons, and lots of caddis. Streamers were fishing better yesterday too. Definitely pack your blue winged olives today. The rivers look even clearer this morning than yesterday. If that changes late in the afternoon we will post an update. If the rain stays light and steady we should be okay this weekend. The flows are still up so the best wading is going to be on the Beaverkill / Willowemoc system. We woke up to light showers this morning. We should see rain throughout the day with winds in the teens. Air temperatures are actually looking good with a high predicted to close to 60 degrees. There may be some larger gusts later in the afternoon you’ll have to wait out. The flows are still up so the best wading is going to be on the Beaverkill / Willowemoc system.
Theo with a riser to the net. Photo by Samantha Dennis
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18-20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,890 cfs |
51° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,480 cfs |
48° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 2,450 cfs | 47° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 3,490 cfs |
48° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 8,010 cfs |
48° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,020 cfs | 47° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 475 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 48° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,270 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 102.6% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 101.2% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 4, 2017
The clarity continues to improve throughout the system but the West Branch still looks the best this morning. The rivers are still running high but the Beaverkill is dropping into manageable wade levels and bringing the East down a bit with it. The West Branch seems to be holding steady as the spill compensate for the falling feeder creeks. The wind was howling yesterday afternoon so streamers were definitely the best bet. We are still finding a decent number of bugs hatching and some fish eating in the big slow pools when the wind lays down. We have some rain coming in the next few days. The forecasted amount varies depending on which station you are listening to. Some of it looks like thunderstorms which are usually unpredictable around here. Bring a raincoat.
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18-20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,940 cfs |
47° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,260 cfs |
45° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 3,400 cfs | 42° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,030 cfs |
50° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 9,970 cfs |
46° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,280 cfs | 46° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 475 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 46° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,430 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 102.5% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 101.5% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 3, 2017
Power is back on in Starlight. Electric lights, water, computers, and river updates are up and running again. That was quite a storm Monday night. The West Branch weathered the storm best and was fishable with streamers yesterday. The color in the West Branch looked decent by late afternoon and is not bad at all this morning. There were some hendricksons and blue quills on the West Branch with a few fish eating them very sporadically- very sporadically. Streamers were definitely the ticket yesterday. We should see the hatching improve and the fish get happier as the water drops and clears even more. The hatching on Monday before the storm was really incredible to see on some sections. It sounded like most of the system had decent bugs and rising fish. Hopefully the bugs pick right back up as we drop back to normal flows. Both Cannonsville and Pepacton are spilling again. We’re going to have some wind to deal with this afternoon but it looks like clouds and no rain today.
George with a nice fish Monday before the rain
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Dark Grannom – #14 – 16 – Dark Brachycentrus
Apple Caddis – #16 – 18 – Light Brachycentrus
Little Black Caddis – #18 – 20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,710 cfs |
46° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 2,650 cfs |
47° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 4,740 cfs | 43° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 7,480 cfs |
46° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 13,000 cfs |
51° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 1,880 cfs | 49° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 475 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 48° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 1,740 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 101.2% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 101.2% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions May 1, 2017
The West Branch is now definitely wadeable. The current release from Cannonsville Reservoir is 292 cfs under the FFMP chart 4D. This will be the first real opportunity for people to wade the West Branch this Spring. Water Temperatures look great this morning throughout the system. The East Branch has also dropped with the flow at Downsville 109 cfs. We should see the water below the dams drop for most of the day. We should see a little over 1/4″ of rain fall in the early evening. Yesterday was an interesting mix of dry, nymph, and streamer fishing. There was no perfect answer and your method depended on where you were fishing. Fish were landed throughout the system so be flexible and carry every fly you own.
Andrea finishing off April with a good one. Photo by Samantha Dennis
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18-20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 287 cfs |
42° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 682 cfs |
45° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 396 cfs | 47° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,030 cfs |
50° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 2,820 cfs |
50° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 448 cfs | 51° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 292 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 46° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 674 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 100.4% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 99.7% |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 30, 2017
The release from Cannonsville Reservoir has been decreased to 996 cfs. While there have been a few people wading the West the lower water will open up a few more areas today. Overall the water is still dropping throughout the system and water temperatures look great this morning. Yesterday was a mixed bag with some people finding fish on hendricksons, some on caddis, and some throwing streamers. Look for the warmest water temperatures to find the best hatching. We are finding a few ble quill and hendrickson spinners on the door in the morning too. Today will be a little cooler with air temps in the low 60’s with good cloud cover. winds will pick up in the afternoon as a front comes in. Luckily the trees are beginning to leaf out so there may be some spots offering a little more protection today. There is a chance of a thunderstorm so bring your raincoat.
George landed this well fed brown yesterday
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18-20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 888 cfs |
42° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 1,100 cfs |
43° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 425 cfs | 48° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,050 cfs |
53° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 3,130 cfs |
51° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 470 cfs | 54° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 996 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 44° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 639 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 100.4% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity |
Delaware River Report / Conditions April 29, 2017
Caddis seemed to be the answer yesterday. There were some hendricksons, blue quills, and even a few quill gordons around but the fish seemed to want to eat caddis. It was warm with bright sun and one of the nicest days to be out there. We were all hoping for a little cloud cover but the sun felt really good. Today we should get the clouds. The forecast is calling for warm air temperatures in the mid 60’s, light winds most of the day with a few afternoon gusts, and clouds. We should see the normal mix of caddis, hendricksons, and blue quills. The cloud cover should make the fish a little more comfortable and not as picky. Today looks like it will be a really good day.
Nick is back in town! Photo by Steve Shen
Hatching:
Hendrickson – #12 – 14 – Ephemerella subvaria
Blue Quill – #16 – Paraleptophlebia. adaptiva
Quill Gordon – #14 – Epeorus pluralis
Blue Wing Olives – #18 – Baetis sp.
Little Black Caddis – #18-20 – Chimarra sp.
Tiny Black Stonefly – #18 – Capniidae sp.
Early Brown and Black Stoneflies – #14 – 16 – Taeniopteryx spp.
Click on the gauge below for the most recent update:
| West Branch at Stilesville, NY | 1,370 cfs |
43° |
| West Branch at Hale Eddy, NY | 1,630 cfs |
44° |
| East Branch at Harvard, NY | 498 cfs | 51° |
| East Branch at Fish’s Eddy, NY | 1,150 cfs |
56° |
| Mainstem at Lordville, NY | 3,600 cfs |
53° |
| Beaverkill at Cooks Falls, NY | 519 cfs | 57° |
| Cannonsville Reservoir Release | 1,499 cfs |
|
| West Branch at 191 Bridge | N/A | 46° |
| West Branch at Walton (Cannonsville inflow) | 708 cfs |
|
| Cannonsville Reservoir Capacity | 100.4% | |
| Pepacton Reservoir Capacity | 99.7% |
