The Schroon River, which flows for approximately 67 miles through the Adirondack Mountains, mostly through Warren County, has been named one of the top ten fishing streams in New York State.
The river, which joins the Hudson below Warrensburg, supports populations of brown, brook and rainbow trout in its upper reaches, while eliding into a warm-water fishery with bass, pike and walleye at its lower sections.
“Anglers looking for a mix of trout and multi-species fishing will find plenty of opportunities here,” stated Fishmasters, the national, online fishing magazine that placed the Schroon near the top of its list of the thirty best fishing streams in New York State.
“We appreciate the recognition” said Don Lehman, Warren County’s Director of Public Affairs and a prominent outdoors writer. “Fishmasters is astute to recognize the Schroon as a top fishing stream. The Warren County Department of Parks and Recreation has done a lot to improve access to the river, while the county Fish Hatchery staff has helped build a dynamic trout fishery through its stocking program.”
Just since the start of 2026, Warren County has stocked roughly 4,200 brook trout and rainbow trout between the Starbuckville Dam in Chestertown and the waters directly below the Osborne Bridge in Warrensburg, said Lehman. Another 500 fish are scheduled to be stocked later this year.
According to Lehman, the fish ranged in size from nine inches or below to nearly fifteen inches. The larger fish are two years old, the smaller, one year old.
Moreover, New York State plans to stock about 4,000 brown trout in the Schroon River between late April and early June, Lehman said.
According to Lehman, many of these fish will survive and grow in size to roughly 20 inches.
“Every year, we get reports of multiple 20-plus inch trout being caught in the Schroon, along with the occasional landlocked Atlantic Salmon that migrate downstream from Schroon Lake,” said Lehman.
According to Fishmasters, trout fishing on the Schroon is best in spring and fall when the cooler water temperatures create the ideal habitat for the species.
“The strong hatches of caddisflies, mayflies and stoneflies make the river an excellent choice for fly fishermen,” the website also stated. Along with the Parks and Rec Department and Fish Hatchery, Warren County’s Department of Planning and Community Development also deserves credit for improving the Schroon River as a fishing stream, said Don Lehman.
Through the work of that department, the county was awarded a $535,401 grant from the 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act in September, 2025 to rebuild two boat launch-pocket parks on the Schroon, enabling the county-owned properties to withstand flooding and erosion while, at the same time, improving public access to the river.
One site is located on the river’s east bank, near the single-lane County Home bridge north of Warrensburg, the other on the west bank opposite the Horicon bridge south of Chestertown.
Better public access to the river improves not only a recreational experience for residents and visitors, but the local economy, said Warren County Planner Ethan Gaddy.
The projects align with the recommendations of Warren County’s “Outdoor Recreation Economy Strategic Plan,” completed in 2025, Gaddy said.
“These types of projects are key to maintaining the outdoor recreation economy,” said Gaddy, who added the Warren County Tourism Department actively promotes outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the county.
In the Lake George region, outdoor recreation buttresses the tourism economy which, according to the most recent data available, generates $928 million per year in spending. In 2024, tourism supported 8,610 local jobs.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported in March, 2026, that the state’s outdoor recreation economy accounted for 1.6 percent of New York’s GDP and over 264,000 jobs.
Nationwide, boating and fishing ranked as the single largest outdoor activity, generating $38.4 billion in value, the Bureau stated.
