Fishing New York's Mohawk River

New York's Mohawk River offers a wide variety of fishing opportunities for all anglers. The Mohawk offers fine trout fishing in its upper reaches and opportunities for smallmouth bass, carp, walleye, tiger muskellunge and northern pike in its lower reaches. This river can be fished easily from the shore or a boat and it has ample access points.

In the upper reaches of the Mohawk River around Rome, the river offers fine trout fishing. Since there is a hatchery located right next to the river it receives ample stocking of trout and does contain some nice holdover fish. This section is easily wide enough to fly fish and has an access point located right next to the hatchery. Don't overlook the small stream that leaves the hatchery, many fish will be trying to return to the hatchery in the fall. Downstream of the hatchery the Mohawk still contains some trout all the way down to Herkimer, though not as plentiful. This is where the river tends to warm up and is better suited for fish that prefer slightly warmer water.

From Herkimer downstream to the Mohawk's confluence with the Hudson River the fish species are generally the same. Smallmouth bass are the most sought after and most abundant game species in this stretch. The Mohawk is ideally suited for these fish and allows them to grow to larger sizes. Most smallmouth in the Mohawk range between 14-16 inches, but it is common to catch fish around 20 inches that weigh around 4 pounds. Walleye are also present in high numbers through this stretch, most range between 15 to 18 inches but many larger fish are caught each year. The largest I've witnessed was an 11-pound fish that was caught around Fonda. Smallmouth and walleye are the two most abundant game fish throughout this long stretch of river and tend to congregate around creek mouths and the lock dams.

Pike and tiger muskellunge are also present from Herkimer down to the Hudson River. While it is not unheard of to catch either species near Herkimer, pike tend to be more common. Pike are present in higher numbers in the stretch of river from Herkimer down to around Canajoharie. An average fish may be around 25 inches, but fish up to 40 inches are caught each year. Most pike are caught while fishing for other species and it is hard to strictly fish for pike, but if you are going to target them look for weedy areas near shore. Tiger muskellunge tend to inhabit more of the lower river; while you may catch one near Herkimer they are more common in the lower stretches of the river. New York State stocks hundreds of tiger muskies each year in the lower reaches of the river and they grow to very large sizes in the Mohawk. Tiger muskies generally average around 25 inches, but fish over 30 inches are caught regularly.

The Mohawk River has ample boat access and the whole river is easily navigated by boats thanks to the lock system that allows boats to travel up and down river. For shore angler the river can be accessed almost anywhere. State route 5 and 5s run along the river and at each lock there is normally an angler parking lot and the water below the locks offers fine fishing. Worms and minnows are a great way to fish, but multiple types of lures also work well. Deep diving and suspending crankbaits work well for most species and top water and spinner baits work well for bass and pike.

The Mohawk River is often an overlooked fishery in New York because of its proximity to so many other great fisheries. Yet, the Mohawk offers some of the finest smallmouth bass fishing in the state and the other game fish can easily reach trophy size. There are an abundance of parks, fishing access points and multiple boat launches, so accessing any stretch is fairly easy. The Mohawk offers something for all anglers so next you are in upstate New York take a few casts in the Mohawk River.