Esopus Creek

A Catskill freestone with a tailwater twist.

The Esopus rises on Slide Mountain and flows roughly 65 miles to Esopus, NY, on the Hudson. The trout fishery runs from the Shandaken Tunnel portal in Allaben downstream to the Ashokan Reservoir.

The Shandaken Tunnel diverts cold water from Schoharie Reservoir into the upper Esopus, which roughly doubles its flow and keeps the river cold enough for trout in summer. The 'portal flows' are the defining variable of fishing here.