Main Stem Delaware River

The Main Stem of the Delaware River, also called the “Big D” or just the “D” by fishermen, starts at the junction of the West and East Branches of the Delaware River in Hancock, NY. From here it flows 330 miles to the Delaware Bay. The upper 40 miles of the river holds a healthy population of wild Brown, Rainbow, and the occasional Brook Trout. They can be found another 30 miles or more down river but are harder to find the farther you get from Callicoon.

The Main Stem also has an abundant population of native Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, and the less common pan fish and Pickerel. The river is big at its junction and gets larger as many substantial feeder streams flow in. It is a very scenic river and the upper portion is governed by the National Park Service.

At a private camp in Lordville, the campers get to fish on their last fishing day. There are public wading access points on the Big D. However, they can be far apart, and wading can be challenging in higher flows. For this reason, floating the river is a popular way to fish this water and experience its beauty.