The West Branch of the Ausable River is one of the most renowned trout streams in the East, and for good reason. One reason is its excellent diversity of brown, brook, and rainbow trout, some of which grow very large. But perhaps the population biggest reason the river is so famous is its deeply forbidding beauty. Indeed, the river's long lines of boulder strewn pocket water are quite dangerous, but it is also what makes the river the fine trout stream it is today.

The West Branch of the Ausable River begins at the convergence of two brooks on the slopes of Mount Marcy, the highest peak in the Adirondack Mountains. With that said, publicly accessible fishing begins at the world famous "Ski Jump Pool", which is located just below Whiteface Mountain, which is another of the highest peaks in the Adirondacks. Downstream to Wilmington Dam, Highway 86, as well as "River Road", shadows the stream. This gives the angler miles of unimpeded river access. There are long stretches of both boulder strewn pocket water, as well as deep, slow pools. You'll find Brown trout are the primary species here, but both brook and rainbow trout can be found in relatively good numbers. This stretch has two catch and release only areas, where artificial lures only are allowed. The first is from the Holcomb Pond outlet downstream to 2 miles below Monument Falls, and the second is from the Whiteface Ski Center Bridge downstream to the "Flume" Bridge.

Below Wilmington Dam begins an excellent stretch of pocket water known as the Firehouse Run. The water is very fast and rocky, and is rather dangerous. With that said, this may be the best trout water of the river, with brown trout behind almost every boulder. There are also some very large brook trout near the mouths of tributary streams. Bait and spin fishing is very popular in this stretch, but fly fisherman do very well also. Below the Firehouse Run, there is no public access to the river for two miles, before public water begins at the mouth at Black Brook. The only other access point is at Ausable Forks, near the river's mouth. With that said, you can hike into the river almost anywhere in this stretch, and youre sure to find many unpressured trout awaiting you. Below the Ausable Fork Dam, there is another stretch of pocket water before it meets the East Branch of the Ausable River, to form the main Ausable River. Below the merging of the two streams, excellent trout fishing continues for several miles downstream. In the main river, rainbow trout predominate. Also, don't overlook the East Branch of the Ausable. It is also an excellent brown trout stream, although size and numbers of trout are less than the West Branch.

The West Branch has several things going for it that are unique. First of all, it is heavily spring-fed. Secondly, it has a fast gradient, with many in-stream boulders to oxygenate the water. This results in one thing, which is relatively unusual in the east. The entire thirty miles of the river produces trout even during the hottest months of the summer. Most nearby streams in the Adirondacks and the Catskills can't say the same thing. Also, the Ausable River is managed very well, with miles of catch and release only water. Some people believe the best part of these catch and release areas is that they distract attention from other areas of the river under general regulations. For all of these reasons, the West Branch of the Ausable may be the best trout river in the East.