The upper section of Conewango Creek begins along Leon Road upstream of the hamlet of New Albion and eventually empties into the Drainage Ditch, a flood-control channel that begins near the hamlet of Cherry Creek. If you account for all of the numerous meanders in the stream, this section of the Conewango is about 20 miles in length. This section of the stream is divided into two subsections by New Albion Lake, an impoundment created in 1982 as part of a flood-control project.

The uppermost section of Conewango Creek along Leon Road averages perhaps 6 feet across, flows over rubble and bedrock, and has cold, high-quality water. In 2018, biologists from the DEC performed a trout population survey on this section of the stream and were surprised by what they found. Though rather small, the stream produced many wild young-of-the-year brown trout, and several adults were captured in the waterfall pools along the road. The last time I checked, this section of the stream was heavily posted, but a landowner I spoke with said permission to fish will usually be given if you ask.

The approximately 1.4-mile-long section of the Conewango from the first crossing of Mosher Hollow Road downstream to New Albion Lake is a small stream ranging from 6 to 10 feet wide. Most of this section has a bottom consisting of cobble and gravel, with increasing amounts of silt and clay as you approach the lake, and the water quality is quite good. The stream meanders through a mostly wooded area, and the tree canopy helps to shade the water and help to keep it cool, cool enough to support wild brown trout and possibly wild brook trout even in the summer. The upstream half of this section is on private property, but asking for permission to fish here might be well worth the effort if you're looking for wild trout in a very rustic setting. 

Before the Conewango reaches New Albion Lake it enters property owned by the DEC. This nearly half-mile-long section of the stream can be accessed, with some difficulty, from the DEC parking area located along Mosher Hollow Road. (The map pin is located on this parking area.) It's likely that at least a few wild brown trout can be found in this section year-round, and the DEC has in told me that, in the summer, some browns from New Albion Lake might be drawn into the stream, enticed by the stream's cooler water temperatures (low to mid 60s). This can be a very difficult section fish due to the dense vegetation and swampy surroundings, but it's certainly worth investigating. Be aware that ticks are very common in this area. 

Immediately upstream of New Albion Lake, Conewango Creek flows through a wetland that has numerous snags, which are large, dead or dying trees. Snags are essential resources for many species of wildlife, including mammals, insects, and birds, which use snags for food, shelter, perching, and nesting. For an interesting article on snags from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, see Links. And be sure to click on the pdf at the end of the article.   

After exiting New Albion Lake, Conewango Creek travels a very circuitous route for about 9 miles, flowing first to the northwest and then gradually turning to the southwest before joining the West Branch of Conewango Creek about 350 feet south of the southern end of Fox Valley Road. Conewango Creek then flows for another 5 miles before emptying into the north end of the Drainage Ditch near Cherry Creek-Leon Road. This portion of the upper Conewango ranges from 15 to 25 feet wide and flows through a mix of farmlands, woodlands, and forested swamps. There is very little development along its banks, and even in the farmed sections most of the stream flows through a tree-lined riparian corridor, though a few sections are entirely lacking in streamside cover. The bottom consists of gravel and silt, turning to mostly mud well before the stream reaches the Drainage Ditch. Because of its low gradient and mud channel, the water is usually turbid. The principal tributaries of this section of Conewango Creek are the previously mentioned West Branch of Conewango Creek and Cherry Creek, which joins the Conewango at the north end of the Drainage Ditch. 

Beginning with the outflow from New Albion Lake, species such as smallmouth bass, northern pike, and yellow perch begin to predominate in Conewango Creek. The most recent DEC surveys indicate that only a few wild brown trout are found in the first mile or two of the Conewango downstream of the lake. 

Notes: Some maps identify the stream that parallels Frog Valley Road as Conewango Creek, but that is actually the West Branch of Conewango Creek. The main stem of Conewango Creek flows from the northeast and joins with the West Branch immediately south of the intersection of Kent Switch Road and Frog Valley Road.

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Links to associated resources (Conewango Creek - Middle Section, Conewango Creek - Lower Section, the Drainage Ditch, and New Albion Lake) will be added soon.