Fisheries of the Mohawk River Watershed

The Mohawk River Basin is located in the center of the state and ties together many of the state’s prominent ecosystems. The Mohawk connects the western watersheds of the Great Lakes and the Hudson River in the eastern part of the state, and its tributaries drain a portion of the Catskills and Adirondacks. All of these connections make the Mohawk River a transition between diverse ecosystems, adding to its biological diversity and unique character.

The flow of species is not necessarily dependent on the direction of water flow and can move in other directions as well. For example, every spring blueback herring move from the coast up the Hudson River and through the locks up the Mohawk River to spawn.

In general, fisheries in the Mohawk River are in a state of transition. Freshwater drum, previously absent, are now common to abundant throughout the river; Northern pike, once rare, are now common throughout the river, and most are large. Even the popular smallmouth bass fishery has shifted from one of quantity to one of quality (meaning fewer bass, but larger fish).