When you think about the best trout fishing in New York, your mind may quickly land on either the Catskill Mountains or the venerable Adirondack Mountains. But central and western New York have their trout fishing destinations as well. In fact, New York state offers some of the best trout streams in the lower 48, and they're easy to access. Brook trout, brown trout, and rainbow trout, plus some other trout species, are all abundant in New York's waters.
Although anglers will generally need to wait until the state's season opener on the first of April, changes in the regulations have made it easier for trout anglers to achieve fishing success. Each year, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) stocks about 2.3 million catchable trout in almost 300 lakes and ponds, and roughly 3,100 miles of streams. Many streams have wild populations of trout, too.
Because not all streams are stocked, the NYS DEC developed a statewide trout-stream management plan, designed to improve trout fishing resources. Implementing a seasonal catch-and-release program along with guidelines around lures allows anglers in some areas to fish year-round.
Naples Creek, Ontario County
Naples Creek, an hour south of Rochester, is a favorite among New York anglers who visit every spring to catch wild rainbows making their spawning runs from nearby Canandaigua Lake. If you're looking for a spot that offers some seriously healthy and stout lake-run rainbows, then you're looking for Naples Creek in Ontario County.
I've personally watched the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) electrofish the creek in the weeks prior to the opener for many years, and they frequently pull 5-to-7-pound rainbows out of some slow spots that you wouldn't think a fish that size could fit in.
In the fall, brown trout run up Naples Creek to give anglers another reason to visit here and tangle with thick fish that can reach 20 inches in length.
West Branch Ausable River, Essex County
Getty Images, Nikki N
Long known as the go-to destination for Adirondack Mountain trout fishing enthusiasts, the West Branch Ausable River just south of Plattsburgh is still every bit the brown, rainbow, and brook trout fishery that it always was. While brown and rainbow trout are stocked in the river, these species coexist with wild brook and brown trout populations—a fishery that makes beginner to veteran anglers happy.
Even though the opener starts at the beginning of April, as it does across the state, some years it's better to wait until May because the weather can still be quite cold when the season starts. The well-oxygenated water is very conducive to trout habitat, with its deeper pools and covers that stay the right temperature year-round.
Esopus Creek, Ulster County
For those who love to wade, the Esopus—under an hour from both Albany and Poughkeepsie—just might be your go-to spot for great wild trout fishing. While the Esopus carries a large population of wild trout, each year the DEC stocks the area with thousands of brown trout, which add to the wild rainbows and run upstream from the Ashokan Reservoir.
The upper portion of Esopus Creek is the most fishable area above the reservoir. In the spring, many rainbow trout that can only be described as "huge" make their way out of the Ashokan on their spawning runs, with some falling each year to anglers using blue-winged olives and stonefly nymphs.
Willowemoc Creek, Sullivan County
Getty Images, TW Farlow
Willowemoc Creek is a rarity among wild trout waters in that it doesn't have any dams or other manmade barriers along its entire 26-mile length. This tributary of the fabled Beaverkill River is a fishery that's stocked with rainbow and brown trout, but you'll see some native brookies as well.
Located near Livingston Manor, New York, and southwest of the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area, Willowemoc Creek offers some beautiful pocket water loaded with native brook trout as well as browns and rainbows.
Fishing is permitted year-round in the no-kill sections of the Willowemoc. But outside of those areas, the fishing season is the state standard from the beginning of April to November.
Beaverkill River, Ulster/Sullivan/Delaware Counties
Possibly the most famous of the Catskill Mountain trout streams, the Beaverkill River offers some of the best wild trout habitats in New York. The aforementioned Willowemoc is a tributary of the Beaverkill, which itself is a major tributary of the East Branch Delaware River—and some say it's the most iconic trout stream in the Catskills.
If it's classic dry-fly water that you're looking for, the major hatches that occur between May and June offer the fly angler an excuse to try everything in their fly kit. There are plenty of public fishing areas along the lower Beaverkill, but anglers new to the Beaverkill River may find more success by hiring any of the good veteran guide services in the area.
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