Delaware River East Branch

The East Branch of the Delaware River is one of the great hidden gems of Catskill fly fishing — a superb wild brown trout tailwater that receives a fraction of the pressure of its famous sister stream, the West Branch. Fed by cold, clear releases from Pepacton Reservoir (the largest reservoir in the New York City watershed system), the East Branch flows 30 miles through the scenic upper Delaware valley from Downsville south to its confluence with the West Branch at Hancock, where the two branches unite to form the main stem Delaware.

The Pepacton tailwater creates conditions similar to the West Branch — cold water through summer, year-round trout habitat, and a population of wild, stream-bred brown trout that rivals any freestone fishery in the Northeast. The key difference is pressure: the East Branch sees significantly fewer anglers than the West Branch, meaning the fish are somewhat less pressured, though no less educated. A capable fly fisher who knows how to read water can have extraordinary dry fly fishing here with relatively few competitors.

The East Branch flows through a narrower, more intimate valley than the West Branch, with the river framed by forested ridges and old dairy farms. The river alternates between long, flat pools — where spinner falls concentrate rising fish in the evenings — and faster riffle sections that hold fish throughout the day. The gravel bars and flat wading through the major pools make this a comfortable wade fishery for intermediate anglers, with plenty of water to explore.

The hatch calendar on the East Branch closely mirrors the West Branch: Hendricksons in April, the spectacular Green Drake hatch in late May and early June, sulphurs through June, Trico mornings from July through September, and the beloved Isonychia (Slate Drake) spinner falls of late summer and fall. Blue-winged Olives extend the season into November. The river is particularly renowned for its evening spinner falls — on a calm June evening, the spinners over the East Branch flats can be thick enough to cast shadows.

Downsville, the small hamlet just below the Pepacton Dam, is the traditional base for East Branch fishing. The community has long catered to anglers, and the proximity to the dam means consistent cool flows even during drought years. For anglers who have explored the West Branch and want to discover the wider upper Delaware watershed, the East Branch offers comparable quality fishing with a quieter, more exploratory character.