Adirondack Park
Adirondack Park encompasses a colossal expanse, one that easily swallows a combined Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks—twice. It is the largest park in the United States, federal or state, outside of Alaska. More than 2 million of its acres are state-owned, with unlimited public access to lakes and streams, and 1 million acres are designated as wilderness.
As early as the 1820s, the Adirondack area was a vacation destination for cooped-up urban dwellers, trophy hunters, and outdoor enthusiasts searching for clean air and wilderness. Among fly fishers, it became famous for its brook trout fishing.
Over the years, its fisheries have had the usual environmental knocks stemming from increased development, acid rain, and poor logging practices, but in general, fishing in the park is well-managed and prolific. Today’s Adirondack experience—everything from aromatic wafts of balsam and multicolored fall foliage to wading productive rivers and casting for wild brookies in labyrinthine pond systems—remains part of an authentic northern New York lifestyle.
Ausable River
The Ausable River—divided into East and West branches—is one of the finest trout rivers in the East. Although the East Branch is fishable, the best fishing is in the West Branch, formed by the confluence of Marcy
and South Meadow brooks. The West Branch flows north for 36 miles until it meets the East Branch in the town of Au Sable Forks to form the main stem of the Ausable River. Along the way, it passes the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex just off New York 73, and continues along River Road until it drops beneath the New York 86 bridge.
The section of river upstream of the jumps is predominantly riffles and pocketwater, holding mostly brook trout with occasional browns and rainbows mixed in. Where the West Branch skirts River Road, its volume increases with additional flows from the tributary Chub River, which enters just below Red Barn Run. This is where the river begins its transformation into a brown trout and rainbow fishery, with deeper runs and flats.
From Iron Bridge downstream to New York 86, you find long riffles and deeper pocketwater to Coty Flats, where the first 5-mile catch-and-release section begins. This section is floatable at flows of 1,100 cubic feet per second (cfs) or higher. Canoes, kayaks, and personal pontoon boats are best for navigating it in the spring or after rainstorms, when wade fishing can be difficult.
At lower flows the river is ideal for wading, with plenty of public access along New York 86, and good fishing in the deep pools, long flats and riffles, and bouldered water the West Branch is famous for.
The water between Monument Falls and Bassett Flats is some of the most productive on the river, with ample wading opportunities and heavy hatches through the spring and summer months. After exiting Bassett Flats, the river’s gradient increases as it descends into the Notch section, sandwiched between high canyon walls with long stretches of rocky banks. Exercise caution while navigating this boulder-laden shoreline—a slip here can be treacherous.
Leaving the Notch, the river plunges nearly 100 feet at High Falls Gorge, located just above the state-operated Wilmington Notch Campground. From the campground downstream to the bridge at the base of Whiteface Mountain ski resort—home to the 1980 Winter Olympics—is the last section of catch-and-
release water on the West Branch. Be prepared to do a little more hiking to access some of the more remote holes in this area.
Near the town of Wilmington, the Ausable forms Lake Everest, a small lake behind a dam. Below the dam are several productive miles of river with excellent fishing. Below this, there is a section of private water just past the Lewis Bridge, located off Preston Road. The next public access is just below the confluence with Black Brook, and the public water extends all the way into the town of Au Sable Forks and through to the next dam. Like the Notch stretch, this area requires careful hiking. Below the dam in Au Sable Forks is another nice stretch of water holding good numbers of trout, and then the river meets the East Branch and forms the main stem Ausable, which empties into Lake Champlain.
Hatches
Trout fishing in New York State opens on April 1. Hatches at that time include Blue-winged Olives and midges, but low flows and cold water temperatures create early season challenges. Adirondack winters are harsh, and fish mortality caused by anchor ice in rivers such as the Ausable is common. As a result, fishing for the few holdover trout can be spotty.
Ausable stocking programs commence in early May to ensure the best survival rates. Local Trout Unlimited members and guides help stock more than 24,000 state-supplied browns and rainbows in the 8- to 10-inch range. The Essex County fish hatchery adds another 5,000 13- to 17-inch brown and rainbow trout, making landing 16- to 19-inch fish a reality as the
season progresses.
By mid-May, fish stocking combined with Hendrickson and caddis hatches produce some of the season’s best fishing. This time frame also draws fly fishers to the area to participate in the annual Ausable River Two-Fly Challenge. The contest, which began in 2000, continues to grow in popularity. This fund-raising event helps protect and enhance the fishery. (For more information, see ausableflyfishing.com.)
Copyright © 2012 Intermedia Outdoors
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