Wappinger Creek, NY

The creek flows in a north–south direction on the eastern side of the Hudson River. The creek's source is Thompson Pond near Pine Plains, and it heads southwestward towards its mouth in the Hudson River near New Hamburg. Along the way, it goes through fluctuations in width and follows an erratic path; in Wappingers Falls, it forms Wappinger Lake, a man-made reservoir. The initial .25 mi (0.40 km) of the creek runs through rocky, steep, wooded terrain. However as it approaches the Hudson it enters the river's tidal range, and has sandbars, mudflats and marshes. The creek is also home to numerous species, and is an important spawning area for anadromous fish, which thrive in the creek between April and June. Largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, red-breasted sunfish, and brown bullhead, however, are resident species. Also, the creek is annually stocked with various species of trout for the purpose of recreational fishing.