Schoharie Creek Fishing Guides
A big, boulder-strewn northern Catskill freestone with wild rainbows and stocked browns, and the most flood-prone gradient in the range.
Guides on the Schoharie Creek
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About the Schoharie Creek
Schoharie Creek is the major stream of the northern Catskills and it runs the opposite direction from most of the range’s famous water, north rather than south, from the high ground around Hunter and Indian Head through Lexington and Prattsville into Schoharie Reservoir. It is a big freestone creek by Catskill standards, wide, boulder-strewn and open to the sky, and it drains steep country fast. The Devasego and Prattsville reaches carry substantial water in a normal spring.
Fishing it is a wading and rock-hopping proposition rather than a delicate one. The creek holds a genuine wild rainbow population, unusual in the Catskills where brown trout dominate, alongside stocked browns and brook trout in the cold tributaries coming off the high peaks. The pocket water between boulders fishes well with nymphs and heavy dries, and the long flat pools reward a careful approach at low water. Lower down toward the reservoir the creek warms and smallmouth bass, rock bass and fallfish appear. It gets a fraction of the pressure of the Esopus or the Beaverkill despite sitting in the same mountains.
The gauge near Lexington is the reading to trust and it should be treated with real respect. This drainage is the most flood-prone in the Catskills; Schoharie Creek did catastrophic damage during Hurricane Irene and it can rise several feet in hours off a summer thunderstorm sitting over the escarpment. Read the trace before committing to a long drive, and do not wade a rising stage here. There is no temperature sensor at this station, so summer thermal decisions have to come from a stream thermometer carried in the vest. The New York City watershed rules apply on the reservoir and parts of the lower creek, so anyone planning to fish that far downstream needs a free access permit obtained in advance.
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Access
Route 42 pull-offs near Lexington - roadside parking along the gauge reach.
West Kill confluence at Lexington - a productive tributary junction with public access.
Route 23A corridor near Hunter - upper-creek access on the headwater reach.
Prattsville village access - bank fishing above the reservoir.
Schoharie Reservoir access points - New York City watershed permit required.
Devasego Falls area - walk-in access to the lower gorge water.
Colgate Lake state land near East Jewett - headwater tributary access.
Seasons
Spring: heavy snowmelt and the highest flows of the year, with the best fishing once the creek drops and clears.
Summer: low and warm on the lower reaches - fish the high tributaries and the cold pocket water early.
Fall: the prime season, with cool stable flows, wild rainbows feeding hard and the northern Catskills at their best.
Winter: cold, icy and largely unfished, with access limited by snow on the Route 42 pull-offs.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Schoharie Creek?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Fallfish, Rainbow Trout, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch on the Schoharie Creek in New York.
Where can you access the Schoharie Creek?
Route 42 pull-offs near Lexington - roadside parking along the gauge reach. West Kill confluence at Lexington - a productive tributary junction with public access. Route 23A corridor near Hunter - upper-creek access on the headwater reach. Prattsville village access - bank fishing above the reservoir. Schoharie Reservoir access points - New York City watershed permit required. Devasego Falls area - walk-in access to the lower gorge water. Colgate Lake state land near East Jewett - headwater tributary access.
When is the best time to fish the Schoharie Creek?
Spring: heavy snowmelt and the highest flows of the year, with the best fishing once the creek drops and clears. Summer: low and warm on the lower reaches - fish the high tributaries and the cold pocket water early. Fall: the prime season, with cool stable flows, wild rainbows feeding hard and the northern Catskills at their best. Winter: cold, icy and largely unfished, with access limited by snow on the Route 42 pull-offs.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Schoharie Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the New York agency site: https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/freshwater-fishing/regulations