Delaware River System Fishing Report – October 2025
It’s been a challenging second half of the season across the Upper Delaware system. Early in the year, conditions looked great — spring brought healthy flows and plenty of cold water throughout the West Branch, East Branch, and Main Stem. Trout were active, hatches were steady, and anglers enjoyed consistent dry-fly action from April through early July.
Since mid-July, however, the story has changed. Persistent drought conditions have dropped flows dramatically, and fishing has become tougher throughout the system. The West Branch, usually the most reliable of the three, has been especially affected by unpredictable release schedules from the Cannonsville Reservoir. Those erratic changes in flow and temperature make it difficult to find stable conditions, and the fish have become more finicky as a result.
The East Branch has been running very low, with water temps pushing higher than ideal during sunny stretches. The Willowemoc and Beaverkill are both extremely low — in some places you can nearly walk across without getting your knees wet. That’s kept daytime fishing pressure light, but it also means you’ll need to focus on deeper pockets, shaded runs, or cooler spring-fed sections if you want to find active trout.
The Main Stem Delaware has also felt the pinch, with lower flows and warmer afternoons limiting opportunities, especially through the middle of the day.
If you’re planning to fish right now, nymphing or streamer fishing is your best bet. Dry-fly activity has been short-lived — usually a quick window right before dark for a few late-season olives or isonychias showing.
Hopefully some fall rain brings relief soon, but for now, patience, stealth, and subsurface tactics are the keys to success across the Delaware system.
