Brown troutBrown, rainbow and brook troutFish on your own. Guide prices are optional; check licence, permit and access requirements before going.
JFMAMJJASOND
- Guide, per angler
- $225–263
- Public access
- Good
- Crowding
- Medium
Esopus Creek
Big Indian to Phoenicia and Mount Tremper, New York · USA
Right now
Loading current conditions…
Flow, last 7 days (cfs)Normal range for these dates
Weather forecast
Forecast data loads here when available. Official weather source ↗
Day ratings weigh rain first (it raises and colors the river), then wind.
Flow: USGS Esopus Creek at Coldbrook, USGS Esopus Creek at Allaben. Recent readings are provisional. Normal range: the middle half of past flows for these dates. Forecast: National Weather Service.
Recent changes
All changes →When to go
JFMAMJJASOND
Apr–Jun and Sep–Nov; trophy rainbows early spring and late fall Wrong?
The water
Wild rainbows dominate the creek around Phoenicia, and cold water from the Shandaken Portal (Schoharie Reservoir) shapes flow and temperature from Allaben down to the Ashokan Reservoir. Portal releases and heavy rain can leave it high and muddy for days.
- Target species
- Wild rainbows, browns, native brook trout in the headwaters
- Trip style
- DIY-friendly
- Access
- Wade Wrong?
- Public access
- Good Wrong?
- Crowding
- Medium Wrong?
- Difficulty
- Intermediate Wrong?
- License and rules
- Fishing licenseRegulationsWrong?
What a trip costs
You came from a self-guided day-trip search. The calculator starts with one fishing day and no guide. Licence, permit, travel and any other costs still apply.
Flies by month
May
- Hendrickson
- Blue Quill
- Blue-winged Olive
June
- Isonychia dun #12 (Whirling Dun)
- Leadwing Coachman wet (swung)
September
- Isonychia dun, a bit smaller than June (Whirling Dun)
- Leadwing Coachman wet (swung)
October
- Isonychia dun (Whirling Dun)
- Leadwing Coachman wet (swung)
Source notes
Thin local coverage: April and November left out, and June, September and October have only two flies each. NYSDEC names Isonychia, BWO, sulphur and late stoneflies as the main hatches but gives no months.
From local shops and guides: catskillflies.com · riverreporter.com · dec.ny.gov. Ask the nearest shop what's working this week.
What to bring
- Rod
- 5–6 wt
- Line
- Floating
- Leader and tippet
- Dries 9–12 ft 5X–6X; nymphs 3X–4X; streamers 0X–2X
- Wading
- Waders
- Also pack
- Fall streamers for Ashokan-run browns
From perfectflystore.com. Guides usually supply rods and flies on a guided day; ask when you book.
Guides and fly shops
- ashokanoutdoors.com · guide rates
- Catskill Flies · hatch chart or reports
- River Reporter · hatch chart or reports
These are the businesses this page's prices and fly lists come from. A listing isn't an endorsement, and nobody pays to be here.
Getting there
Getting there
Fly into SWF Newburgh, then 1 hr. About 61 miles (98 km) by road.
Open in Google Maps · Directions from SWF
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Driving from Albany about 1 hr 30 min, New York City about 2 hr 40 min, Scranton about 2 hr 50 min, Hartford about 3 hr.
More sources
dec.ny.govSomething out of date?
Rates, seasons and access change. Tell us what's wrong and, if you can, where you saw it.
More trout rivers
Brown troutBrown, rainbow and brook trout
Rainbow troutStocked rainbows, browns and brook trout; some wild brook and brown troutFish on your own. Guide prices are optional; check licence, permit and access requirements before going.
JFMAMJJASOND
- Guide, per angler
- $225
- Public access
- Good
- Crowding
- Medium
The posted rate is one shop's New Jersey wade rate; it doesn't name the Flat Brook
Brown troutWild brown trout, rainbows, brook troutFish on your own. Guide prices are optional; check licence, permit and access requirements before going.
JFMAMJJASOND
- Guide, per angler
- $250
- Public access
- Good
- Crowding
- Medium