Catskills Fishing & Swimming Holes

There’s a reason the forests of the Sullivan Catskills glow lush, vibrant and dew-bright all spring and summer: freshwater. There’s a lot of it.

Fourteen rivers and streams. Sixteen lakes and ponds. Each fed by spring snowmelt and a weather pattern that keeps things country-cool until nature decides a little summer shower is due.

City haze & heat have no place here.

The fish like it that way. So do kids, especially the ones cannonballing into a cool swimming hole while parents wade in waist-deep, offering their expert critique on form, splash height and overall flair.

Before you pick a spot, explore our outdoor dining guide for patios, riverside tables and porches across the region, or browse our date night picks for the restaurants worth lingering over. Both have the details on what’s cooking and where to sit.

Five Must-Splash Swim Spots in Sullivan County

Whether you favor moving water or flat, there’s a creek or lake within a skipping stone’s toss of every community in the Sullivan Catskills, some built right along the banks. Here are five easy-access favorites.

Locals’ Tip: Each is great for fishing too. Cast a few lines, take a dip, nap and snack, repeat.

1. Willowemoc Wild Forest

At 14,800 acres, the Willowemoc Wild Forest is Forever Wild and free to access, threaded by one of the most storied trout streams in the Northeast. The Willowemoc Creek winds through it all, and where the water widens, the swimming holes follow. Look for the deeper pools along Flugertown Road, where the current slows and the canopy closes in overhead. There’s no sign telling you this is the spot. That’s kind of the point. Bring water shoes & leave it better than you found it.

2. Lake Superior State Park

For family fun, head to Lake Superior State Park in Bethel. With its large sandy beach, designated swimming area, playground, beach volleyball courts,  picnic grounds (with grills) and reservable group picnic pavilions, there’s plenty of ways to spend a day on the water. Canoe, kayak and paddleboat rentals are a nice touch too, along with indoor restrooms and a shower/changing area. Dogs are welcome, but must be leashed. 

3. Beaverkill Covered Bridge

Seven miles north of both Roscoe and Livingston Manor, this 1865 covered bridge spans the Beaverkill and looks exactly like something you’d paint if you were trying to imagine the Catskills at their most iconic. Underneath it, a deep pool has been drawing swimmers (and fishermen, and fishermen who are also swimming) for generations. It’s part of the Beaverkill Campground & Day Use Area, so you can park, spread out on the grass and make a whole afternoon of it where the water runs clear & cold.

4. Willowemoc Creek Town Park

Right in the heart of Livingston Manor, tucked behind Catskill Art Space on Main Street, this little park gives you direct access to the Willowemoc Creek without going anywhere at all. It’s the kind of spot that surprises people who didn’t know it was there, which is most people. Grab a coffee on Main Street first, bring a towel and wade in. The creek is shallow enough for kids & scenic enough that you’ll want to stay longer than you planned.

5. Callicoon Delaware River Frontage

The Delaware River running through Callicoon is one of the quieter stretches of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, and the NYSDEC access area off Route 97, right in town, puts you on it with minimal effort. Parking for 40+ cars, a non-motorized launch, restrooms in season, and a wide, calm reach of river made for floating & watching bald eagles do their thing. Before or after, walk into town for shops and restaurants. Callicoon’s got you covered on that front too.

Fish Finding in Pristine Catskill Water

Each of the 30 unique waterways within the Sullivan Catskills holds fish but knowing where to find them is a skill honed over generations who found their solace among forested riffles. There’s a reason the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum sits on the banks of the Willowemoc in Livingston Manor.

There’s also a reason a good day on the water can easily become an epic one with the help of a professional fishing outfitter or guide, and both are plentiful here in Sullivan County. Here are a few of the best.

Catskill Fly Fishing Center

While not exactly an outfitter, the Catskill Fly Fishing Center is a good place to start when learning where — and how — to fish the Catskills. Knowledge starts with history, and you’ll find plenty of it here, including the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame, casting and fly-tying classes and a full shop of handmade bamboo rods made on-site in the Cane Rod Shop.

Dette Flies

There’s no better place to tie your first fly, or your 500th, than Dette Flies. Established in 1928 by Walt and Winnie Dette, it’s the oldest family-owned fly shop in the United States. Step inside for gear, guidance and stories from generations of anglers who’ve turned fishing into an art form.

Trout Town Flies

Roscoe is proudly called Trout Town, USA, which is exactly why you’ll find world-class outfitters here. Trout Town Flies is one of them, and the combined experience of their guides is enough to fill centuries with fishing stories.

Covert Creek Outfitting

Joe Heusinger, owner of Covert Creek Outfitting in Port Jervis, knows a thing or two about fish, especially when it comes to choosing the right water for every level of angler to enjoy a day in the Catskill wild. Catching a fish is a lot of fun. But the memory of catching it is why you fish.

Locals’ Tip: Several properties in the Sullivan Catskills, like Roscoe Mountain Club and The DeBruce, offer fish-and-stay packages that can include classes and guide service.

Let’s Talk Fish & Floating

No story about Catskill waters is complete without a quick chat about fish and floating. Knowing what’s in this crystal-clear water is one thing; knowing how to experience it from above, wet or dry, is another. Let’s start with the fish.

There are plenty of reasons to rise and shine in the Sullivan Catskills, but if you’re up and at ’em early for the fish, you’ll find bass, shad, perch and pickerel. None, though, may be more revered than trout; hence the annual Trout Parade in Livingston Manor. But that’s a fish story unto itself.

Junction Pool in Roscoe hosts the traditional opening of trout season each aprile, as locals and legends toss a ceremonial cast into the confluence of the Willowemoc and the Beaverkill. The joy of wearing waders, though, carries on through spring, summer and fall.

For those who’d rather float, rod in hand or without, there are plenty of ways to do that too.

Canoe & Kayak Adventures

Canoeing and kayaking are two of the best ways to experience the Catskills. Beginners will love the calm sections of the Delaware River and the region’s many lakes. In Livingston Manor, Mongaup Pond (the largest body of water in the Catskill Forest Preserve) has on-site kayak rentals.

If birding by boat is your thing, the Bashakill Wildlife Management Area near Wurtsboro is the largest freshwater wetland in southeastern New York and a state-designated Bird Conservation Area.

Tubing & Float Trips

The Delaware River offers longer, leisurely floats, while the Beaverkill winds through more intimate, forested corridors.

The beauty is you choose your own pace. Bring your own tube or book a trip with Reber’s River Trips, Kittatinny Canoes or Lander’s River Trips. Each provides the essentials, including safety gear and transportation, and many offer picnic spots and BBQ areas that make an afternoon of family fun on the water just the right amount easier.

Pick a pond, a remote stream, a grand reservoir or the free-flowing Delaware itself and you can dip your toes, or a line, into a new spot every day of the season and never touch them all.

No matter which and whether you catch a fish, the memory will live on. It’ll remind you that in the Sullivan Catskills, there’s always time for one more cast & cannonball, this summer or the next.