Lamington river 5/28/19:

[AndyS]

Started out on the main stem by Dukes, a few bumps and shakes, not impressed with the water quality so I moved off. Went near Uncle Ken's house on the North Branch and hooked a super feisty rainbow, jumped strait out of the water 3 feet into the air !! Quick release and no pic.
Moved further up and ended up on the Lammy. Hit one spot and nailed a nice SMB. There were a pair of carp way up there that thought they were Sockeye Salmon ! Stopped in at another spot off Rt. 523 where there are NO trout stocked signs, got a few nice SMB. Moved even further up and checked the river up near Pottersville. Access becomes tough as you get further up and ended up on the Black river. Saw what looked like the old Black river fishing club, posted signs but not the actual club signs that used to be there.
Started to do more sight-seeing now as I knew the skies were going to open up at any moment, been a while since I took the drive up there.
EVERYTHING is so GREEN and lush !!! The streams are in great shape other than a tea coloring. Huge canopies covered the filled streams, the fish must be very happy. So much water you could float the Lamington from Pottersville to the North branch.
No fish pics today, just scenery.

[AndyS]

Went up to Hacklebarney and made a U turn coming down the opposite side of the mountain. Hooked a feisty trout for a moment that hit under the foam on the Black river.

[thmyorke1]

Nice report. Wish more was open and accessible up there. The spot i hit in the winter was really pretty, accessibility is thin however.

[Billfish715]

The state bought a large portion of land south and west of the park many years ago. There was access to the river but it was quite a hike. The land and river shoreline was across from the old trout club. The access along Black River Road on the west side of the river is still posted from what I've seen. A few fish swim down from the park but not many are stocked in comparison to other rivers. The park used to be packed on Thursdays after stocking as well as on Friday mornings with most fish being creeped or put on stringers. The Lamington up that way and downstream from Pottersville has few public access points.

[AndyS]

As I drove up along the Black river I saw many no trespassing and posted signs, no trout stocking signs from the State. I guess all the stocking is done within the park itself ?

[Billfish715]

There are many posted areas along the river. Parking is also restricted in many areas along the road especially upstream above the dam and towards Route 24. The river is stocked from the Cider Mill by Route 24 to the dam downstream from there. The stocking then concludes within the park. The stream in between those points is not stocked and the surrounding land is posted.

For those who want another access to the park, there is a fishermen's parking area at the end of Lamerson Road. It's a bit of a hike through the woods and down through the rocky, hemlock lined ravine to the river on the opposite side from the park. It's very scenic.

If you are looking to catch many holdover trout, the rocky riffles present a challenge but there are some fish that the catch and creel fishermen leave behind. The state might look into increasing its quota of stocked trout because the river certainly can support a larger amount of fish.

The state is managing one of the tributaries ( Rhineharts Brook) for wild trout production, and some stocked fish do work their way into the brook; so, I guess increasing the stocking quota will be put on hold.

[Chrisper4694]

there are posted signs on public/state property sometimes...either people that don't want you in their spot or people that live nearby that don't want anyone walking around... you should check property lines online if you think public land is posted.

[Billfish715]

Yep! The land to which I referred is definitely private property. There are farms and houses with sizable acreage surrounding the stream upstream from the park. There used to be a private fishing club upstream of the park as well. This is not to be confused with the private club that was downstream of the park.

Besides the issue of private property, there is also the problem of parking. That is true for just about everywhere. A single car parked along a country road usually draws attention. It might be a double whammy if you get busted for crossing private property to get to the open water that runs along the property line; then, finding your car has been towed or ticketed. If you have a "secret" spot back off the road, but have to park where everyone who drives past your car can see it, your "secret" spot may not be secret for too long. Many roads also have "no parking" signs posted everywhere.

Obviously, gaining access to some good water on or adjacent to private property might take some "schmuzing" with the land owner. There are many great spots along the state's waterways that are never fished or seldom fished because no one ever asked for permission from the landowner.

[thmyorke1]

https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7746.html

NY has this thing called Pulbic Fishing Rights thing, wish NJ had it.

Just by asking private land owners that own property on rivers, a lot of new stretches could open up and provide more great angling experiences.

Perhaps give them an incentive for having the owners sign up for it; like a tax cut.

[DiPaoro]

Do you ever see hatching at Hacklebarny?

So far, I have not.