Rensselaer County is blessed with incredible fishing opportunities and getting active with the Home Waters Chapter is one of the best ways to meet passionate anglers eager to share their knowledge on where to go, how to improve your skills and what to use to find success fishing the rivers and streams we work together to restore.
Listed below are some of our best local and nearby waters with information on the fishing opportunities all around the area. Always be sure to check the state fishing regulations https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/freshwater-fishing/regulations and never hesitate to attend a Home Waters Chapter event to meet people who can answer your questions.
Poesten Kill
The Poesten Kill in Rensselaer County, New York, is a 26.2-mile (42.2 km) long creek that flows west from its source at Dyken Pond in Berlin, NY to the Hudson River in Troy, NY. It is one of our region’s best trout fisheries, renowned for its prolific insect hatches and large, eager trout! While the NYS Department of Conservation stocks it annually with brown trout, there is a small wild brook trout population in the Poesten Kill headwaters. Best of all, the restoration work by Home Waters Chapter to remediate the Poesten Kill habitat and improve its health through tree plantings and other volunteer projects has helped make it even better. Some of the most popular sections to fish are near the headwaters section at Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center in Grafton and the more remote waters accessible by hiking in from the Barbersville Falls Nature Trail along Blue Factory Road in Poestenkill. Some of the best fishing on the Poesten Kill takes place in April, May, and September. Fishing is open from April 1- October 15
Kinderhook Creek
The Kinderhook Creek is a 49-mile long tributary to Stockport Creek, which flows into the Hudson River. It originates in Hancock, Massachusetts, and flows southwest through the Taconic Mountains, crossing into New York State and through Rensselaer and Columbia counties. The creek’s watershed covers over 329 square miles and is fed by several tributaries, including Valatie Kill, Black Brook, Hollow Brook, and Roaring Brook. Home Waters Chapter 586 has helped care for the Kinderhook through community science, support of improved state fisheries management and annual restoration projects. Kinderhook Creek is a popular stream for trout fishing and it’s known for its trout population, including brown trout, and is accessible through the Kinderhook Creek Preserve located at Martha Hicks Road, East Nassau, NY. The creek and its tributaries also support other fish species and is a NYSDEC trout stocking stream.. The best time to fish is during spring and fall, with spring being ideal for aquatic insect hatches. Fall offers the chance to catch brown trout as they prepare for spawning. Anglers can use various techniques, including fly fishing (dry flies, nymphs), and bait fishing (worms, grasshoppers). The creek passes through several towns and cities, including Stephentown, New Lebanon, Nassau, Chatham, Kinderhook, and Stuyvesant for many fishing opportunities.