Hinckley Reservoir and West Canada Creek

Central Adirondack Trail, State Rt. 12, State Rt. 28 and State Rt. 365, near Barneveld in Oneida County

The 4.5-square-mile reservoir averages 40 feet deep and West Canada flows from there 29 miles south to meet the Mohawk in Herkimer, and is trout water most of the way.

Fishing, kayaking, and canoeing all available. Popular trout and fly fishing waters. A three-mile no kill section between Morgan Dam and Cincinnati Creek remains cool enough in the summer for trout, and in the fall, spawning browns will begin to stack up there. A dam was built at Hinckley in 1915 to form a reservoir to supply the Mohawk River Barge Canal. Hydropower turbines were later added to the dam. The 4.5-square-mile reservoir is only about 40 feet deep, but it holds enough cold water for the river below to qualify as a tailwater. From Hinckley, the West Canada flows 29 miles south to meet the Mohawk in Herkimer. It is trout water the entire way, though the cool water begins to warm about a third of the way down. The lower river's temperatures are more like those of free-flowing streams, though flows tend to be higher.

The West Canada Creek is so large many wonder why it has called a creek and not a river. Neatly segmented into long, deep pools and equally long, moderate riffles, it winds past farms and the villages of Poland, Newport, and Middleville. Its cobblestones make for pleasant wading. In most spots, the main channel of the current is too deep or heavy to cross except during low flows, but you can usually find a way to cast to any water you want to reach. The water sometimes rises quickly because of electrical generation. There is a siren that is audible at the upper end but along the rest of the creek, the only indication is that rocks that were dry when you started fishing are suddenly under water.

LODGING, DINING & OTHER INFORMATION:

• Oneida County Tourism Information

• Mohawk Valley Chamber Of Commerce