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See all 2 routes on East Branch Delaware River

New York | Delaware County

East Branch Delaware River

Fish's Eddy DEC hand launch to Cadosia DEC hand launch / Hancock East–West Branch forks

Route planning details, access notes, and local verification guidance.

Route location

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Distance9 river miles to the Hancock forks; use the Cadosia DEC hand launch as the verified public take-out unless the final junction landing is separately confirmed
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeAbout 4–5 hours depending on flow
ShuttleCar shuttle
The East Branch Delaware River at the USGS Fish's Eddy monitoring station in New York.
River contextEast Branch Delaware River at Fish's Eddy; route and historical gauge context river-level context — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by U.S. Geological Survey

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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Conditions

Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view

Gauge

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Weather

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Route overview

Quick facts and what's next

Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.

Quick facts

On-water distance9 river miles to the Hancock forks; use the Cadosia DEC hand launch as the verified public take-out unless the final junction landing is separately confirmedFish's Eddy DEC hand launch to Cadosia DEC hand launch / Hancock East–West Branch forks
DifficultyeasyThe route source rates this reach Class I and suitable for confident beginners at favorable levels, but the nine-mile length, cold tailwater, low-water gravel, strainers, limited hand-launch parking, private banks, and proxy-gauge uncertainty require a conservative day plan.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage the downstream vehicle at the DEC Cadosia hand launch, then drive to Fish's Eddy. Confirm both small parking areas, the carry, the current proxy reading, recent rainfall, the exact Cadosia landing, and a daylight turnaround before launching.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is identified by the route source. Follow current New York boating, PFD, DEC access, parking, park, and posted rules; verify any event-day or seasonal restrictions before launching.
CampingDay tripNo legal on-route or endpoint campground is documented by the route sources. Treat this as a daylight trip and arrange separate lodging or a legal campground; do not camp at Fish’s Eddy, Cadosia, islands, public-fishing easements, or private East Branch banks without explicit authorization.
SeasonApr-OctCanWePaddle identifies April–October as the more dependable planning season. Spring rain and snowmelt can push the East Branch quickly, while late summer can become too shallow; use current proxy telemetry, recent rainfall, trend, and a visual inspection together.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

TomorrowChecking

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A nine-mile Class I East Branch Delaware River route from the NYSDEC Fish's Eddy hand launch toward the Hancock forks, with a verifiable NYSDEC Cadosia hand-launch take-out just above the East/West Branch junction. The route preserves the route source's 200–3,000 cfs planning range while using live USGS 01421500 at Hancock as an explicitly labeled same-river proxy because the historical Fish's Eddy station is not currently returning a usable reading.

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Start

Put-in

Fish's Eddy DEC hand launch
Open map

DEC's Fish's Eddy and Cadosia listings are hand launches, not trailer ramps; parking is limited to approximately five and four cars respectively.

Finish

Take-out

Cadosia DEC hand launch / Hancock forks approach
Open map

The route source targets the Hancock East/West Branch junction, while Cadosia is the clearly listed DEC public hand launch immediately above that transition. Use Cadosia for the product endpoint unless the junction landing and parking are independently verified.

Plan this segment

Pulling access map tiles. Usually under 5 seconds.

Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • DEC's Fish's Eddy and Cadosia listings are hand launches, not trailer ramps; parking is limited to approximately five and four cars respectively.
  • The route source targets the Hancock East/West Branch junction, while Cadosia is the clearly listed DEC public hand launch immediately above that transition. Use Cadosia for the product endpoint unless the junction landing and parking are independently verified.
  • The East Branch shoreline includes posted and private property. Public navigation does not create blanket bank access, camping rights, or an emergency landing entitlement on private land.

Watch for

  • USGS 01421500 below 200 cfs, above 3,000 cfs, rising quickly, unavailable, or inconsistent with the Fishs Eddy visual
  • stale/unavailable USGS 01421000 data, low-water gravel, cold water, strainers, debris, bridge approaches, and changing current
  • five-car Fishs Eddy parking, four-car Cadosia parking, private banks, angler activity, limited bailout options, and the Hancock forks boundary

Route gallery

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Score & sources

Data and sources

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

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Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking

Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.

Why
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Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteEast Branch Delaware River at Hancock, NY
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
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Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
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WindChecking
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Target band200 cfs to 3,000 cfs
Low threshold200 cfs
High threshold3,000 cfs
Evidence strength behind the rangeOfficial and local sources
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreCanWePaddle Fishs Eddy to Hancock estimated runnable range: 200–3,000 cfs; live Hancock station is a near-endpoint same-river proxy
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
NotesWhat to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Named New York corridorFish's Eddy to Hancock; 9 miles; Class I

    CanWePaddle publishes the named reach, approximate distance, Class I character, four-hour float time, April–October season, endpoint target, and conservative 200–3,000 cfs planning range.

    Source

  • Public water accessNYSDEC Fish's Eddy and Cadosia East Branch hand launches

    NYSDEC lists both endpoint-area sites as Delaware River (East Branch) hand launches and publishes their coordinates and limited parking capacities.

    Source

  • Proxy flow guidance200–3,000 cfs estimated range using live USGS 01421500 at Hancock as a near-endpoint same-river proxy

    The numeric range comes from the route source’s Fishs Eddy section; the live Hancock station is retained transparently as a proxy and does not replace a local visual, rainfall, or trend check.

    Source

  • Historical route gauge caveatUSGS 01421000 at Fishs Eddy is the route source station but currently has no usable current reading

    USGS describes the Fishs Eddy station and its location upstream of the East/West Branch confluence; check it when available, but do not present stale or unavailable data as live telemetry.

    Source

  • Cold-water and private-bank safetyCold tailwater, private shorelines, local scouting, PFD, and public-access-only landings

    Upper Delaware river-safety guidance requires local condition checks and respect for private shoreline and public access boundaries.

    Source

  • Same-river proxy gaugeUSGS 01421500, East Branch Delaware River at Hancock, NY

    USGS provides continuous telemetry at a same-river downstream proxy; local rainfall, tributary inflow, and dam operations can make route conditions diverge.

    Source

  • Safety and river conditionsCheck live gauge, recent rainfall, trend, debris, bridges, and access conditions before launch

    CanWePaddle / NYSDEC Delaware County public access / USGS Hancock proxy and its linked safety material warn that conditions change rapidly and require local inspection.

    Source

  • Image decisionApproved watershed/proxy-gauge context image used for route presentation

    The image is clearly labeled as watershed/proxy-gauge context and does not claim to depict this exact reach.

    Source

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Nearby routes by distance

Delaware RiverHancock River Access to Callicoon NY DEC access · about 5 mi awayModerate · Approximately 27 river miles between the NPS Hancock and Callicoon access areasDelaware RiverHancock NYSDEC access to Lordville NYSDEC access · about 5 mi awayModerate · Approximately 9 river miles between the NPS Hancock and Lordville public accessesDelaware RiverBalls Eddy PFBC access to Hancock NYSDEC access · about 8 mi awayModerate · Approximately 5 planning miles from Balls Eddy through the West Branch confluence to HancockDelaware RiverLordville NYSDEC access to Long Eddy NYSDEC access · about 8 mi awayModerate · Approximately 9.5 river miles between the NPS Lordville and Long Eddy public accesses

Quick answers

East Branch Delaware River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling East Branch Delaware River?

Paddle Today watches East Branch Delaware River at Hancock, NY and treats 200 cfs to 3,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.

Where does this East Branch Delaware River route start and end?

This route starts at Fish's Eddy DEC hand launch and ends at Cadosia DEC hand launch / Hancock forks approach, about 9 river miles to the Hancock forks; use the Cadosia DEC hand launch as the verified public take-out unless the final junction landing is separately confirmed on the water.

Is this East Branch Delaware River route good for beginners?

This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.

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