Black River Fishing Guides
A big northern New York river best known for whitewater, with a strong smallmouth fishery through Watertown and Lake Ontario steelhead in the lower reach.
Guides on the Black River
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About the Black River
The Black River rises in the western Adirondacks, runs northwest through the Tug Hill country and drops hard through Watertown before reaching Lake Ontario at Black River Bay. Most people know it as whitewater – the Watertown release section is one of the better known commercial rafting runs in the Northeast – but the fishing along its length is considerably better than its reputation suggests.
Smallmouth bass are the backbone. The river through and below Watertown holds a genuinely strong population in the pools, ledges and current seams, and the fish run to a good size because relatively few people target them. Northern pike hold in the slower backwaters and around weed edges, walleye use the deeper runs, and muskellunge are present in the lower river in numbers that reward persistence more than luck. The lower reach below the last barrier receives Lake Ontario steelhead and brown trout in autumn and spring, which puts a tributary fishery on the bottom of the river that runs on a completely different schedule from everything above it.
Access is good in and around Watertown, where city and county parks put you directly on the water, and reasonable upriver through Carthage, Great Bend and Lyons Falls. Flows are heavily managed by a chain of hydroelectric dams, so the river can change level quickly and without weather to explain it – the gauge and the release schedule both matter here.
Guiding is thin and mostly oriented toward the Lake Ontario tributary run rather than the resident smallmouth water. Wading is possible in the flatter reaches at low flow but should not be attempted near the dams or during a release.
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Access
Watertown - the gauge reach and the best urban access on the river.
Thompson Park area - city access to the Watertown pools.
Dexter - lower river access near the Lake Ontario mouth.
Black River Bay - the Lake Ontario arm and the bottom of the run.
Carthage - middle river town access.
Great Bend - upper-middle river bank and launch access.
Lyons Falls - upper river access above the main drop.
Seasons
Spring: high managed flows, walleye and pike, and steelhead in the lower river.
Summer: the whitewater release season and the strongest smallmouth bass fishing.
Fall: cooling water, big smallmouth and the autumn Lake Ontario tributary run.
Winter: cold, partly iced and lightly fished above the lower reach.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Black River?
As of Sep 17, 5:30 am, the USGS gauge BLACK RIVER AT WATERTOWN NY reads 1,590 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Black River?
Anglers target Brown Trout, Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Steelhead, Walleye on the Black River in New York.
Where can you access the Black River?
Watertown - the gauge reach and the best urban access on the river. Thompson Park area - city access to the Watertown pools. Dexter - lower river access near the Lake Ontario mouth. Black River Bay - the Lake Ontario arm and the bottom of the run. Carthage - middle river town access. Great Bend - upper-middle river bank and launch access. Lyons Falls - upper river access above the main drop.
When is the best time to fish the Black River?
Spring: high managed flows, walleye and pike, and steelhead in the lower river. Summer: the whitewater release season and the strongest smallmouth bass fishing. Fall: cooling water, big smallmouth and the autumn Lake Ontario tributary run. Winter: cold, partly iced and lightly fished above the lower reach.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Black River?
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