Neversink River Fishing Guides
Theodore Gordon's home river, a steep and intimate Catskill trout stream above Neversink Reservoir with wild browns, brook trout and difficult, rewarding water.
Guides on the Neversink River
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About the Neversink River
The Neversink is the most storied small river in the Catskills and the one most closely tied to a single angler. Theodore Gordon lived and fished on this water, and the modern American dry fly was largely developed here in the years around 1900. The river rises on the flanks of Slide Mountain, the highest peak in the range, and its two branches come together at Claryville before running south into Neversink Reservoir and continuing on toward the Delaware at Port Jervis.
The reach this gauge reads is the upper river above the reservoir, and it is the wild water. Brown trout dominate, brook trout hold in the colder branches and the shaded plunge pools, and the fish run smaller than on the big Delaware tailwaters but they are almost entirely wild. It is technical, close-quarters fishing on a steep boulder-and-ledge gradient with a great deal of pocket water, and anglers who like short accurate casts in tight cover do very well here. The famous Gordon Quill hatch and the spring Hendricksons still come off on the same schedule.
This station reports discharge, stage and water temperature along with a full water-quality package, so it is one of the more informative gauges in the Catskills. Read the temperature in summer, because the upper river is freestone and warms quickly in a dry August. The other thing to understand before driving up is access. New York City owns the reservoir and a great deal of surrounding land, a city access permit is required on much of it, and the private land in the Claryville valley is genuinely and firmly posted. Sort the permits out before the trip. Guides working this valley usually combine the upper Neversink with a day on the Delaware system, which gives a trip a cold-water fallback when August runs warm.
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Access
Claryville - the junction of the East and West branches and the main upper access.
Neversink Gorge Unique Area - walk-in wild trout water below the reservoir, a long hike in.
The Denning road pull-offs - roadside access to the upper East Branch.
Frost Valley area on the West Branch - limited public access above the confluence.
Neversink Reservoir shoreline - New York City access permit required, no exceptions.
Bridgeville and the Route 17 corridor - access to the lower river below the gorge.
Oakland Valley and Cuddebackville - lower-river access toward the Delaware confluence.
Seasons
Spring: high, cold and strong, with the Hendrickson and Quill Gordon hatches at their best.
Summer: low and clear on the upper river - fish early, fish the pockets, and watch the temperature.
Fall: cool water, good streamer and terrestrial fishing and very little company on the stream.
Winter: cold, icy and largely unfishable on the upper reaches, with the season closed on most water.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Neversink River?
As of Sep 17, 5:15 am, the USGS gauge NEVERSINK RIVER NEAR CLARYVILLE NY reads 86 cfs, with water temperature 59 F. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Neversink River?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Fallfish, Rainbow Trout, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass on the Neversink River in New York.
Where can you access the Neversink River?
Claryville - the junction of the East and West branches and the main upper access. Neversink Gorge Unique Area - walk-in wild trout water below the reservoir, a long hike in. The Denning road pull-offs - roadside access to the upper East Branch. Frost Valley area on the West Branch - limited public access above the confluence. Neversink Reservoir shoreline - New York City access permit required, no exceptions. Bridgeville and the Route 17 corridor - access to the lower river below the gorge. Oakland Valley and Cuddebackville - lower-river access toward the Delaware confluence.
When is the best time to fish the Neversink River?
Spring: high, cold and strong, with the Hendrickson and Quill Gordon hatches at their best. Summer: low and clear on the upper river - fish early, fish the pockets, and watch the temperature. Fall: cool water, good streamer and terrestrial fishing and very little company on the stream. Winter: cold, icy and largely unfishable on the upper reaches, with the season closed on most water.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Neversink 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