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Hancock to Callicoon. Big wild rainbows and browns on the main stem, smallmouth below. The river tops out around 10 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 963 acres wrapped in 55.1 miles of bank. A development index of 12.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. End to end it runs roughly 16.6 mi, about 3.9 mi across. It sits in Wayne County. If the bite dies, Starlight Lake is 9 mi to the northwest.
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 3 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 2 to 10 ft. Start at Junction Pool (East/West Branch). It's an inflow / creek mouth holding about 8 ft of water and rates prime come spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Junction Pool (East/West Branch) (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Junction Pool (East/West Branch) (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Current seam (mile 16.1) (6 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 10 ft | dawn | Current seam (mile 16.1) (6 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 1 to 10 ft that time of year. They don't go far with the seasons — 3 to 10 ft covers summer, 1 to 10 ft covers winter. Top water on the chart: Junction Pool (East/West Branch), an inflow / creek mouth in the 8 ft range, prime in spring. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Junction Pool (East/West Branch) (8 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | night & dawn | Current seam (mile 16.1) (6 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 10 ft | dusk & dawn | Junction Pool (East/West Branch) (8 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 10 ft | dawn | Junction Pool (East/West Branch) (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Spring smallmouth bass on Delaware River (Upper) hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 10 ft in summer, 3 to 10 ft once it turns cold. Put Riffle & run (mile 2.5) first on the milk run — a rock pile near 4 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Riffle & run (mile 2.5) (4 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Current seam (mile 16.1) (6 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Structure-wise the chart holds 14 features, led in depth by Dam tailrace at roughly 9 ft.
Access data: New York State DEC — Boat Launches (FishNY). Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for New York waters are set by the New York DEC — and special regulations can apply to Delaware River (Upper) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official New York fishing regulations →
Delaware River (Upper) is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass on Delaware River (Upper).
Junction Pool (East/West Branch) is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Delaware River (Upper) is regulated by the New York DEC. Check the official New York regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Starlight Lake 9 mi, PA · Laurel Lake 11 mi, PA · Lake Huntington 15 mi, NY · Shandelee Lake 16 mi, NY · Cannonsville Reservoir 18 mi, NY · Beaverkill 19 mi, NY · Lake Superior 20 mi, NY · White Lake 21 mi, NY · Toronto Reservoir 23 mi, NY · Pepacton Reservoir 24 mi, NY · Arctic Lake 26 mi, NY · Swinging Bridge Reservoir 26 mi, NY
See how Delaware River (Upper) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in New York · best rainbow trout lakes in New York · best brown trout lakes in New York
Browse all New York fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.