Catskills, New York
Beaverkill and Willowemoc Creek Fishing Report: June 5, 2026
The Beaverkill and Willowemoc are wadeable but warm-weather sensitive, making early shade, evening bugs, and trout-temperature checks the main plan.
- Status
- fair
- Flow trend
- falling
- Best window
- Early shade and evening low light, with thermometer checks by afternoon
- Best methods
- dry flies, nymphs, wet flies
Quick Summary
The Beaverkill and Willowemoc are fishable this morning, but this is a fair report because the freestones are low enough to be technical and warm enough to require temperature discipline. USGS showed the Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls at 210 cfs, 1.70 feet, and 59.7 F around 7:30 to 7:45 AM EDT; Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor was 48.8 cfs, 2.02 feet, and 54.0 F at 7:15 AM EDT. Local Catskill and Delaware-system reports noted that Cooks Falls reached 68 F yesterday afternoon, so morning fishing and evening shade are the cleaner trout windows until cooler weather and rain arrive. Carry sulphurs, Gray Fox, March Browns, Isonychia, caddis, olives, Green Drakes, and spinners, but be ready to end the trout session if your thermometer gets near 68 F.
Conditions Snapshot
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Status | Fair |
| Flow | 210 cfs at Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls; 48.8 cfs on Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor |
| Gauge Height | 1.70 feet at Cooks Falls; 2.02 feet near Livingston Manor |
| Water Temp | 59.7 F at Cooks Falls; 54.0 F near Livingston Manor |
| Clarity | Not reported by official gauges; verify at your access |
| Trend | Falling to nearly stable from yesterday morning |
| Best Window | Early shade and evening low light, with thermometer checks by afternoon |
| Best Method | dry flies; nymphs; wet flies |
| Wadeability | Good overall, but low enough for long leaders, quiet approaches, and bank-first fishing |
Weather
For Livingston Manor, NY, the National Weather Service forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a high near 83 F. Wind should be light from the northwest at 0-6 mph, and tonight should be partly cloudy with a low around 60 F. No active NWS alerts were found for the forecast zone at report time. Saturday carries a much higher shower and thunderstorm chance, but today the key safety issue is afternoon trout temperature, not high water.
River Notes
The Beaverkill still has enough water to fish riffles, pockets, and shaded seams, but falling flows and bright weather make poor approaches costly. The Willowemoc is colder at the gauge this morning but low, so fish bank water before stepping into it and keep casts longer than normal in slick pools. Because Cooks Falls touched the trout-stress line yesterday afternoon, treat any midafternoon Beaverkill fishing as conditional on your thermometer. If the water approaches 68 F, stop targeting trout and wait for cooler evening water or move to a colder option.
Hatch Activity
Catskill reports continue to point to a mixed early-June box. Sulphurs, Gray Fox, March Browns, Isonychia, caddis, olives, Green Drakes, and rusty spinners remain relevant, with surface action most likely in shade, riffle chop, and low light. During the middle of a warm bright day, nymphing and swinging wets through faster water is more reliable than waiting over flat-water fish.
| Hatch | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Sedge / Tan Caddis | 14-18 | Fish pupa, wets, and adults around riffles and pocket water |
| March Brown | 10-12 | Useful larger profile for Beaverkill broken water and bank seams |
| Gray Fox | 12-14 | Good around mixed mayfly activity and pool heads |
| Invaria Sulphur / Light Cahill | 14-18 | Important late-day mayfly option in softer edges and tailouts |
| Isonychia | 10-12 | Nymphs and wets are useful in faster seams before surface feeding steadies |
| Green Drake / Coffin Fly | 8-10 | Carry for dusk, but downsize if rise forms point to sulphurs or olives |
| Blue Winged Olive | 18-22 | Worth having for shaded water and selective fish |
| Rusty Spinner | 10-20 | Key evening pattern if the surface stays calm |
Recommended Flies
| Category | Fly | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry | Blue Sedge or Tan Caddis | 14-18 | Search riffle edges and pocket water when caddis are moving |
| Dry | March Brown / Gray Fox Comparadun | 10-14 | Visible mayfly for broken water, bank seams, and pool heads |
| Dry | Sulphur or Light Cahill Sparkle Dun | 14-18 | Use later in the day when lighter mayflies draw steady rises |
| Dry | Green Drake or Coffin Fly | 8-10 | Carry for dusk and switch smaller if fish show olives or sulphurs |
| Dry | Rusty Spinner | 10-20 | Match evening spinner water with a longer leader and light tippet |
| Nymph | Isonychia Nymph | 10-12 | Work faster seams and riffle margins before fish commit to the surface |
| Nymph | Green Drake or March Brown Nymph | 8-12 | Good early subsurface profile in pockets and pool heads |
| Nymph | Caddis Pupa | 14-18 | Dead drift or swing through riffle tails |
| Wet | Partridge and Yellow or Leadwing Coachman | 12-16 | Useful when mayflies or caddis are present but rises are scattered |
| Streamer | Small Olive or Brown Bugger | 6-10 | Best early, late, or under broken light in deeper Beaverkill slots |
Tactics
Fish early if you want the best combination of temperature and trout comfort. Start with dry-dropper rigs, caddis pupa, Isonychia nymphs, or soft hackles in riffles and pocket seams, then switch to dry flies only when fish show a repeatable rise. In flat water, lengthen the leader, use lighter tippet, and keep your feet out of the lane until the bank-side water has been covered. Recheck temperature through the day; a good hatch is not a reason to keep trout fishing once the water reaches the upper 60s.
Gauge Links
| Gauge | Flow | Temp | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEAVER KILL AT COOKS FALLS NY | 210 cfs | 59.7 F | USGS 01420500 |
| WILLOWEMOC CREEK NR LIVINGSTON MANOR NY | 48.8 cfs | 54.0 F | USGS 01419500 |
Sources
Official sources checked: USGS stations 01420500 and 01419500, plus the National Weather Service forecast and alerts for the Livingston Manor, NY area. This report is an original Custom FlyBox summary based on current official gauge and weather data, with local public conditions reports reviewed separately for hatch, access, and method context.