At one time, Red House Brook was a high-quality wild brook trout stream, well known as one of the best trout streams in Allegany State Park. But a number of factors, especially the decades-long increase in beaver activity along much of its course, have greatly reduced the capacity of this stream to harbor wild trout. Based on surveys conducted by the DEC that documented stream temperatures unsuitably high for long-term survival of stocked and wild trout, Red House Brook has been reduced to an early season (April to early June) fishery for stocked trout.

Red House Brook consists of two distinct sections: the lower section, which extends from the confluence with the Allegheny River upstream to the dam at Red House Lake; and the upper section, which extends from the lake up to the headwaters. The fishable tributaries of Red House Brook include Bay State Brook, Beehunter Creek, Bova Creek, McIntosh Creek, and Stoddard Creek. (Because Red House Lake is an artificial impoundment of Red House Brook, McIntosh Creek and Stoddard Creek are technically tributaries of Red House Brook, not the lake.) 

The lower section of the stream ranges from 15 to 30 feet in width and has a cobble and cobble bottom with pockets of silt in some areas. Much of this section of the stream flows through a partially intact riparian corridor and scrub-shrub wetlands and is open enough for fly fishing. In the spring, the lower section of Red House Brook is stocked with brown trout and rainbow trout. This is a put-and-take spring fishery, and few trout will be found here after early June largely due to excessively warm water temperatures from the outflow from the lake and the impacts of beaver ponds. In addition to trout, the lower section of Red House Brook also provides fishing for species that migrate into the stream from the Allegheny River, including smallmouth bass, suckers, carp, and panfish. Locals have told me that the fishing for these species can be quite good in the summer and fall.

It should be noted that the section of Red House Brook between the confluence with the Allegheny River and the park boundary, which is located about 1,700 feet downstream of Interstate 86, flows through the Allegany Indian Reservation. You must possess a Seneca Nation fishing license if you plan to fish that part of the stream. (Google Maps misidentifies the section of Red House Brook downstream of Interstate 86 as the Allegheny River.)

The upper section of Red House Brook ranges from about 10 to 25 feet in width. Immediately upstream of the lake to just above the first crossing of ASP 2, Red House is a wide-open, low-gradient stream flowing through scrub-shrub and wetlands. Further upstream, most of Red House Brook has a rock, cobble and boulder bottom and generally clear, fast-flowing water, and the gradient begins to increase, especially upstream of France Brook Road (the map pin is located at this crossing). Flowing through woodlands, the sparse understory provides limited bank cover. In the spring, the upper section of Red House Brook is stocked with brown trout and rainbow trout. This also is a put-and-take fishery, usually lasting no longer than early June. Unfortunately, this section of Red House Brook also is heavily impacted by numerous beaver ponds, which not only warm the stream but also cause siltation, with devastating impacts on wild trout reproduction. Wild brook trout and brown trout might still be found in the uppermost 1 to 2 miles of the stream but, if present, their numbers are low and likely declining.

(Note: The following paragraph is more easily understood if you first look at Map 4 of the DEC's brochure on trout fishing in Allegany State Park under Links.)

Until 2021, the DEC considered France Brook to be the uppermost part of Red House Brook, and what other agencies refer to as Red House Brook upstream of France Brook Road the DEC considered to be Tributary 17 (T-17) of Red House Brook. In part because of this confusion, beginning in 2021, the DEC combined the stocking policy for T-17 with the stocking policy for the main stem of Red House Brook downstream of the mouth of France Brook. Why the DEC considered France Brook to be the main stem of Red House Brook is unknown. In this article I've included T-17 as the true uppermost section of Red House Brook.

In addition to fishing, a hike along Red House Brook provides other opportunities to enjoy the park's natural beauty. Though detrimental to the stream's fisheries, the numerous wetlands created by beaver impoundments along this stream provide habitat for many species of plants, birds, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. In woodland areas not impacted by beavers, wildflowers and birds abound. In the spring, flowers commonly seen in woodland areas along this stream include several species of trilliums and violets, wild geranium, hepatica, jack-in-the-pulpit, and occasionally pink lady slippers (see photos). Woodland bird species that can be seen along the stream include various species of warbler, thrush, and woodpecker. An eBird list of bird species sighted along this stream has not yet been entered. See eBird under Links to see how you can get started on eBird and enter your own list of birds. 

For additional information on the trout streams that flow through the park, see Allegany State Park Streams. For maps of these streams from the DEC, see DEC Map under Links.  

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Links to associated resources (the Allegheny River, Allegany State Park, and Red House Lake) will be added soon.