—
State of the Waters · Empire State

New York Water Levels & the Daily Bite

Live levels for New York's great lakes and reservoirs — Oneida, the Finger Lakes, Great Sacandaga and the Catskill supply reservoirs. Every tube shows the normal pool, the current level, the lake's two signature fish (hover for the species, click for 2026 tournaments), and a live bite gauge at left. Scroll down for the Delaware & Ausable trout tailwaters, the Salmon River, and the Upper Delaware & Mohawk smallmouth floats.

Fetching live readings…
Pick how you're using the water today — jump to live conditions:
🎣 Fishing another state?  Step 1: pick it Step 2: how you use the water
Flood / above normal At normal pool Below normal Current level Bite gauge: slow → hot (solunar)

Hover a fish for its species · click a fish to search that lake's 2026 tournaments

Each cylinder is scaled to its own operating band: the gold line is normal full (conservation) pool, the red line is the flood / above-normal line, and the blue water is the live reading. Where a New York reservoir has a live federal gauge it reads true lake elevation (ft MSL); utility & water-supply lakes show the most recent published pool. The colored bar at left is a solunar bite forecast for right now at each lake (red = slow, green = hot).

Trout Tailwaters — Cold Water Below the Dams

New York owns some of the East's finest trout water: the wild-brown West & East Branch Delaware, the Adirondack Ausable, the storied Beaverkill, and the steelhead-and-salmon Salmon River at Pulaski. The cylinder shows live flow (cfs), low = wadeable, high = fast water. Hover a trout for the species; tap it for a guide.

On the Delaware tailwaters, check the release schedule before wading — cold generation water rises fast; the Salmon River runs on Lighthouse Hill releases.

River Catfish — Warm-Water Rivers

The tidal Hudson holds hard-fighting channel catfish and a spring run of striped bass. Live river stage (ft) from NOAA with the action and flood stages marked — rising, stained water after a rain turns the bite on. Hover a fish for the species; tap it for a guide.

Float Rivers — Paddle & Wade

The Upper Delaware is a legendary smallmouth float, with the Susquehanna, Chemung, Mohawk and Genesee right there with it. Live USGS gage height (ft); each tube marks FLOAT (minimum floatable), EXPERT (high water) and FLOOD. Hover a fish; tap it for an outfitter.

These rivers are flashy — they jump fast after rain and drop just as quick; the Upper Delaware fishes best on a steady drop.

Advertisement