Launch type 
Water type 
Parking 
GPS coordinates 
Beginner friendliness Read this before you drive. Schoharie Reservoir is New York City drinking-water land, and the access rules are mandatory and easy to get wrong. Before you launch you need a free NYC DEP Access Permit, a DEP boat tag, and proof that your boat, paddles, and gear were steam-cleaned by a DEP-certified vendor - or a boat from the seasonal DEP rental program, which comes pre-cleaned and registered. It is non-motorized only, the season and hours are limited, and you can only launch from designated, signed sites. Show up without the permit, tag, and cleaning and you will not be paddling. Rules and seasons change, so confirm the current NYC DEP and Catskill Watershed Corporation rules before you go - see the Official Sources section at the bottom of this guide.
Quick Verdict
The Schoharie Reservoir is a big, scenic, strictly-managed paddle on NYC drinking-water watershed land near Prattsville, on the Greene/Schoharie border. The paddling can be beautiful and quiet, but the access rules are the headline, not a footnote: you need a free NYC DEP Access Permit, a DEP boat tag, and a boat that has been steam-cleaned by a certified vendor before it ever touches the water - or you rent one that is already cleaned and registered. This is a plan-ahead reservoir, not a show-up-and-launch lake.
Where It Is
The reservoir sits in the northern Catskills around Gilboa and Prattsville, just over the Greene County line in Schoharie County. It is part of New York City's water supply, which is why access is permitted and tightly regulated. Boating happens at designated, signed launch sites around the reservoir - not from random shoreline. See the map below for the general area, and confirm the current launch sites with DEP or the Catskill Watershed Corporation before you go.
Permit and Access Requirements
This is the part that ends trips before they start. As we understand the current rules - and you should verify them yourself before driving - you need:
- A free NYC DEP Access Permit for every person. If you plan to boat more than one NYC reservoir, you need a separate permit for each one.
- A valid DEP boat tag, issued after your boat is steam-cleaned and registered. Temporary passes (roughly 1 to 7 days) and full-season options exist.
- Proof of steam-cleaning (see the next section) before the boat touches the water.
On top of that:
- Non-motorized only: kayaks, canoes, rowboats, and sculls. Sailboats are no longer allowed, and there are no motors.
- The season runs roughly May 1 to October 31, sunrise to sunset, and all boats must be off DEP lands by October 31.
- No smoking or e-cigarettes, and no drones launched or landed on DEP property.
A kayak length minimum has been reported here in the past; treat allowed craft, boat-length rules, and any paddleboard (SUP) restrictions as things to confirm with DEP for the current season rather than assume.
Because the requirements change, sort all of this out days in advance and check the official rules before you load the car.
Boat Cleaning, Tagging, and Rentals
The steam-cleaning rule is the one most paddlers underestimate. To keep zebra mussels and other invasives out of the water supply, your boat and its paddles or oars - plus gear like anchors and lines - must be steam-cleaned by a DEP-certified vendor before going on the reservoir. After cleaning and registration, you get the DEP boat tag that lets you launch. The Gilboa DEP boat office handles steam-cleaning and registration; a phone line reported for it is (607) 588-6231 (confirm before relying on it).
If that sounds like a lot of friction, the rental route exists for exactly this reason:
- A seasonal DEP rental program offers pre-cleaned, registered kayaks and canoes stored on racks at designated launch sites across the four open reservoirs (Cannonsville, Neversink, Pepacton, and Schoharie). The boats are already cleaned and tagged, so renting removes the hardest step. Local businesses set the rental prices, so we do not quote them here - confirm directly.
- Nickerson Park Campground in nearby Gilboa rents canoes and offers campsites near the Schoharie.
- The Catskill Watershed Corporation publishes reservoir-specific brochures that list the launch sites, steam-cleaning vendors, and rental vendors - a good first stop for current, named contacts.
One thing renting does not remove: you (and everyone in your party) still need the free DEP Access Permit. The rental solves the boat, cleaning, and tag; the per-person permit is on you. For the wider picture of paddling without your own gear, see Kayak Rentals and No-Gear Paddles.
This whole regime exists to protect the water supply from aquatic invasive species. The same habit applies everywhere you paddle - see Clean, Drain, Dry for the general practice.
Designated Launches and Parking
You can only put in at designated, signed DEP launch sites. These are coordinated with NYSDEC to avoid disturbing nesting eagles, so do not improvise a put-in along the shoreline - both for the rules and for the wildlife.
The verified essentials, to confirm per site for the current season:
- Parking: 15 single-car spaces reported (no trailer parking)
- Launch: hand-carry in only, at designated access points
- Storage: public boat storage racks at some sites, first-come, first-served (this is also where rental boats are racked)
- Restrooms: portable privies at most launch sites, with a carry in / carry out trash policy
The Catskill Watershed Corporation's reservoir brochure is the cleanest way to get the current list of designated launch sites before you go.
No-Motor and Vessel Rules
This is strictly non-motorized water. Allowed craft are kayaks, canoes, rowboats, and sculls; sailboats are no longer permitted, and motors of any kind are not allowed. Paddleboard (SUP) status is something to verify - it is not clearly listed among the standard allowed craft, which is why the SUP rating here is minimal. The no-motor rule is one of the nicer things about the reservoir once you are on it: the water stays quiet.
What the Paddle Is Like
This is a large, open reservoir, so the water can be calm and glassy at dawn and choppy by midday once the wind picks up. The scenery is excellent and the no-motor rule keeps it quiet, but the open fetch means wind deserves respect. Start early, watch the forecast, and stay aware of how far you are from shore. See Conditions for how to read a day before you commit.
Would I Bring a Beginner Here?
Short answer: Not as a first paddle.
Between the strict permitting and the open-water wind exposure, this is better suited to prepared paddlers who have done their homework. A beginner could enjoy it on a calm morning with an experienced partner and all permits and cleaning sorted in advance, but it is not a learn-here lake, and the planning overhead alone makes it a poor choice for a spontaneous first outing.
Family Notes
Given the permitting and open water, this is a trip for older, prepared paddlers rather than young kids. If you do bring family, go on a calm morning, keep close to shore, ensure everyone has their own permit and a properly fitted PFD, consider the pre-cleaned rental boats to cut the logistics, and keep the outing short.
What to Check Before You Go
- That every paddler has a NYC DEP Access Permit (one per person, per reservoir) and a valid boat tag
- That your boat, paddles, and gear have been steam-cleaned by a certified vendor - or that you have booked a pre-cleaned rental
- The current designated launch sites and their parking
- The wind forecast (this is big, open water) and the water temperature, especially in spring and fall
- Season and hours for the current year (roughly May 1 to Oct 31, sunrise to sunset)
- The current official DEP rules, because they change - see Official Sources below
- See Before You Paddle and Conditions for the full pre-trip checklist
Easier and Backup Alternatives
If the permit, cleaning, and tagging are more than you want to take on, or the reservoir is too windy, the Mountaintop area has simpler no-permit lakes:
- The Mountaintop Lake Paddles guide ties together the easier Catskill lakes - North-South Lake, C.D. Lane Park, Colgate Lake, and Rip Van Winkle Lake.
- Planning around a windy forecast? Windy Hudson Backup Paddles rounds up the calm-water lake fallbacks for blustery days.
Official Sources and Current Rules
These are the authorities for Schoharie Reservoir access. Rules, seasons, vendors, and fees change - confirm the current rules here before you drive:
- NYC DEP - Recreational Boating (permits, boat tags, steam-cleaning, allowed craft)
- Catskill Watershed Corporation - Boating (reservoir brochures, launch sites, steam-cleaning and rental vendors)
- NYSDEC - Schoharie Reservoir (state land and access context)
Paddle Greene has not field-visited this site; the rules above are desk-researched from these official sources and should be re-checked for the current season.
Bottom Line
The Schoharie Reservoir rewards paddlers who plan: secure the NYC DEP permit, boat tag, and steam-cleaning ahead of time (or book a pre-cleaned rental), pick a calm-weather window, launch from a designated site, and you get a quiet, scenic, no-motor paddle on big Catskill water. Skip the prep and you will not get on the water at all. When in doubt, verify the current rules with DEP and the Catskill Watershed Corporation first.
How to use this guide: How to use these guides safely · Before you paddle · Conditions · Map · Field review status · Where to Paddle
