The Catskills are renown for fishing, whether you are looking for brown trout or smallmouth bass in the deep waters of the Pepacton or want to try your hand a fly fishing, Andes has the water for you.
Pepacton Reservoir– The biggest brown trout in the Catskills, and perhaps in the east, inhabit the Pepacton. The reservoir is part of the New York City water supply system, and requires a permit to access. Fish from shore or rowboat just about anywhere in the spring, then go deep during the summer. Live bait fish (usually sawbellies) and shiny spoons (most notably Krocodiles) are proven methods. Water levels fluctuate depending on seasonal rainfall fluctuations. Beware of mercury contamination and other State health advisories. Small motorless rowboats can be stored along shore after steam cleaning and obtaining a free access permit. Or, you could bring along a rod as you paddle your canoe or kayak for a duel adventure. However you fish the reservoir, you need a DEP access permit in addition to your NY Fishing License.
Big Pond is open for trout fishing year-round, which makes Big Pond a Catskills hot-spot for ice-fishing in winter in addition to great fishing during the regular season.
Fish the tributary waters from small to the largest, the East Branch of the Delaware River, the main tributary feeding the Pepacton Reservoir. A short drive from Andes is the West Branch of the Delaware River which also provides excellent trout fishing.
More information on local fishing is available on the DEC website.
Except on free fishing days, a fishing license is required to fish in almost any local waters. You also need a free DEP access permit to fish on NYC DEP lands/waters. Make sure you are familiar with size and catch limits and other important fishing regulations and special Delaware County regulations.
New to fishing? Hire a guide or attend one of the many free fishing clinics sponsored by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Other Resources
Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum
Orvis Fly Fishing Learning Center
Use the FREE New York Fishing, Hunting & Wildlife App created by the NYS DEC, available on iTunes or GooglePlay for up-to-date information on hunting and fishing sites, species found there, regulations, license and permit requirements and more. It has all the cool features of a good gps app – the ability to mark waypoints, record tracks, calculate distances and more. It also has a “Nearest Me” feature to help you find which wildlife management areas, lakes and ponds are closest to where you are.
