Upper Delaware, New York
West Branch Delaware River Fishing Report: June 10, 2026
The West Branch at Hale Eddy is cold, steady, and wadeable this morning, with clouds and rain helping the dry-fly and streamer outlook but afternoon thunderstorms requiring caution.
- Status
- good
- Flow trend
- stable
- Best window
- Cloudy afternoon into evening; watch thunderstorms and warmer downstream water
- Best methods
- dry flies, nymphs, dry-dropper, streamers
Quick Summary
The West Branch at Hale Eddy is the best New York trout option in this report set again this morning. USGS showed 557 cfs, 2.86 feet, and 46.4 F at about 7:45 AM EDT, nearly unchanged from the 8 AM report and still cold enough for a full trout plan on the tailwater. Current local Delaware-system context now points to solid West Branch sulphur activity, with afternoon and evening sulphurs, spent caddis and spinners, March Browns, Gray Fox, Isonychia, olives, and dry-dropper or nymphing options before the hatch. Clouds and rain make streamers a reasonable backup today, but the National Weather Service also has showers and thunderstorms likely late in the day, so get off open water when storms approach and keep using a thermometer if you move below cold release influence.
Conditions Snapshot
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Status | Good |
| Flow | 557 cfs at about 7:45 AM EDT |
| Gauge Height | 2.86 feet |
| Water Temp | 46.4 F |
| Clarity | Not reported by official gauges; stable Hale Eddy flow points to a predictable tailwater setup unless local access shows stain |
| Trend | Stable from yesterday morning |
| Best Window | Cloudy afternoon into evening; watch thunderstorms and warmer downstream water |
| Best Method | dry flies; nymphs; dry-dropper; streamers if rain keeps light low |
| Wadeability | Good at Hale Eddy from a flow standpoint, with normal caution around ledges, deeper seams, and boat traffic |
Weather
For Hancock, NY, the National Weather Service forecast calls for a high near 85 F with mostly cloudy conditions and a chance of showers late morning, then showers and thunderstorms likely during the afternoon. South wind should stay light, around 1-5 mph. Tonight is forecast to bring showers and thunderstorms early, patchy fog later, and a low near 65 F. The storm risk is the main safety constraint today; leave the river before lightning or hard runoff reaches your section.
River Notes
At 557 cfs, Hale Eddy remains in a practical wading range and has enough cold release influence to protect the main West Branch plan. The reported 500 cfs Cannonsville release keeps the upper tailwater more reliable than warmer freestone and lower Delaware-system water. Cloud cover and rain should be better for midday searching than yesterday's brighter setup, and the low-light weather adds a legitimate streamer lane along shaded banks, riffle edges, and deeper seams before bugs start. Do not treat the whole system like the Hale Eddy gauge: lower and slower water can warm quickly on an 85-degree day. If you leave the cold West Branch influence, take a thermometer reading and stop targeting trout as water approaches 68 F.
Hatch Activity
The upper Delaware is still in a mixed early-June hatch window. Sulphurs are the central afternoon and evening mayfly on the West Branch right now, and spent caddis or spinners matter when fish switch to flatter rise forms. March Browns, Gray Fox, Isonychia, Green Drakes, Cahills, olives, and tan caddis are all worth carrying. The cloud cover may move fish earlier than a bright day, but nymphs, soft hackles, and dry-droppers remain the more dependable search tools until you see steady rise forms.
| Hatch | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sulphur | 14-18 | Key afternoon and evening bug; carry emergers, duns, and spinners |
| Green Drake / Coffin Fly | 8-10 | Present on parts of the system; fish it only where bigger bugs or spinner falls are actually showing |
| March Brown / Gray Fox | 10-14 | Still useful in colder sections, riffles, and bank seams |
| Light Cahill | 14-16 | Good over pale rise forms in the late-day mix |
| Blue Winged Olive | 16-18 | More relevant with clouds, shade, or smaller rise forms |
| Tan Caddis / Dark Sedge | 14-18 | Fish pupa, soft hackles, and adults around riffles and broken water |
Recommended Flies
| Category | Fly | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry | Sulphur Sparkle Dun or Spinner | 14-18 | Start here when lighter mayflies draw steady rises |
| Dry | Green Drake or Coffin Fly | 8-10 | Carry for confirmed big-bug or spinner activity, especially toward evening |
| Dry | March Brown or Gray Fox Comparadun | 10-14 | Search riffles, bank seams, and broken water |
| Dry | Light Cahill Comparadun or Spinner | 14-16 | Good late-day option over pale duns or spinners |
| Dry | BWO Comparadun | 16-18 | Use in shade, clouds, chop, or over smaller sipping fish |
| Dry | Elk Hair Caddis or Spent Caddis | 14-18 | Good around riffles and mixed evening feeding |
| Nymph | Isonychia Nymph | 10-12 | Work faster seams before surface activity steadies |
| Nymph | Caddis Pupa | 14-18 | Dead drift or swing through riffle tails and soft edges |
| Nymph | Pheasant Tail or Frenchie | 14-18 | Good smaller dropper behind a larger dry |
| Wet | Partridge and Yellow or Leadwing Coachman | 12-16 | Swing when bugs are active but rises are scattered |
| Streamer | Olive or Black Woolly Bugger | 6-10 | Use as a low-light rain option along banks, riffle edges, and deeper seams |
| Streamer | Sculpin or Small Baitfish Pattern | 4-8 | Good if rain or cloud cover keeps fish comfortable away from the surface |
Tactics
Start with nymphs, caddis pupa, or a dry-dropper in broken water, inside seams, and riffles while you wait for bugs and fish to show. If rain darkens the water without bringing lightning, work a small streamer along banks and deeper seams, then switch back to sulphur, caddis, or olive dries once fish show consistently. If clouds hold and rises start early, slow down, identify whether fish are on sulphurs, olives, caddis, Cahills, larger drakes, or spinners, and match size before changing pattern style. Keep the West Branch temperature advantage in mind; moving down into warmer water may trade more bugs for stressed trout. If thunderheads build, leave exposed water and do not wait out lightning from midstream.
Gauge Links
| Gauge | Flow | Temp | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| WEST BRANCH DELAWARE RIVER AT HALE EDDY NY | 557 cfs | 46.4 F | USGS 01426500 |
Sources
Official sources checked: USGS station 01426500 and the National Weather Service forecast and alerts for the Hancock, NY area. This report is an original Custom FlyBox summary based on current official gauge and weather data, with local public conditions reports reviewed separately for hatch, release, access, and method context.