Catskills, New York
Beaverkill and Willowemoc Fishing Report: June 30, 2026
The Beaverkill is already above the trout-temperature cutoff this morning, and the low Willowemoc leaves little margin, so skip these freestones for trout today.
- Status
- unsafe
- Flow trend
- falling
- Best window
- Skip freestone trout fishing; choose cold tailwater or warmwater alternatives
- Best methods
- skip warm trout water, cold tailwater alternatives, warmwater options
Quick Summary
Skip the Beaverkill and Willowemoc for trout today. USGS showed the Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls at 118 cfs and 68.7 F during the morning check, which is already above the 68 F trout-stress line before the hottest part of the day. The Willowemoc near Livingston Manor was cooler at 61.0 F but very low at 29.6 cfs, and the Roscoe forecast still calls for a warm, humid day with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. If you want trout, move to cold tailwater water; if you want to stay local, pick reservoirs, lakes, or other warmwater options.
Conditions Snapshot
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Status | Unsafe for trout on the Beaverkill; not recommended on the low Willowemoc because the day will keep warming |
| Flow | 118 cfs at Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls; 29.6 cfs at Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor |
| Gauge Height | 1.22 feet at Cooks Falls; 1.88 feet near Livingston Manor |
| Water Temp | 68.7 F at Cooks Falls; 61.0 F near Livingston Manor during the morning USGS check |
| Clarity | Not reported by official gauges; low summer freestone conditions require extra caution even where water looks clear |
| Trend | Flows are low to falling, with water temperature now the main trout-safety constraint |
| Best Window | Not recommended for trout today |
| Best Method | Skip freestone trout fishing; use cold tailwater alternatives or warmwater species instead |
| Wadeability | Physical wading may be possible in spots, but trout stress makes fishing these freestones the wrong call |
Weather
For Roscoe and Livingston Manor, the National Weather Service forecast calls for mostly cloudy conditions with a high near 86 F and a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between about 2 PM and 3 PM. Southwest wind is forecast at 3 to 9 mph. Tonight has a chance of evening showers and thunderstorms before mostly cloudy conditions and a low near 65 F. The warm forecast means the Beaverkill temperature problem will not improve during the fishing day.
River Notes
The Beaverkill gauge is the deciding fact: 68.7 F in the morning is too warm to justify trout fishing. Even if a shaded bank or spring seep reads cooler, the main river is already past the point where catch-and-release trout pressure is responsible. The Willowemoc reading is cooler, but 29.6 cfs is thin water with limited thermal cushion and little room for fish to recover after a fight. Leave these freestones alone for trout today and check the cold tailwaters instead.
Hatch Activity
Local Catskills context still includes the summer mix of sulphurs, Blue Winged Olives, Isonychias, Light Cahills, caddis, and evening spinners. On the Beaverkill and Willowemoc today, those bugs are not a reason to target trout in warm, low water. Save the hatch box for colder water and carry a stream thermometer for the rest of the week.
| Hatch | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sulphur | 16-18 | Regionally active; fish it only on water that remains safely cold |
| Blue Winged Olive | 18-22 | Clouds may help, but temperature still controls the trout decision |
| Isonychia | 10-12 | Useful nymph or emerger on colder riffle water, not on warm Beaverkill trout today |
| Light Cahill | 14-16 | Evening possibility on alternate cold water |
| Tan Caddis | 16-18 | Pupa and soft hackles remain good searching choices in cold moving water |
| Rusty Spinner | 14-20 | Last-light option only after a thermometer confirms safe temperatures elsewhere |
Recommended Flies
| Category | Fly | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry | Sulphur Comparadun or Sparkle Dun | 16-18 | Carry for cold tailwater water, not for the warm Beaverkill today |
| Dry | BWO Comparadun or CDC Dun | 18-22 | Small cloudy-day option only where temperatures stay safe |
| Dry | Light Cahill or White Wulff | 14-16 | Visible evening fly for alternate cold water |
| Dry | Rusty Spinner | 14-20 | Use only after a fresh temperature check on colder water |
| Nymph | Isonychia Nymph | 10-12 | Good summer nymph in cold riffles away from stressed freestone trout |
| Nymph | Pheasant Tail or Frenchie | 14-18 | Mayfly nymph for tailwater seams and pocket water that remains cold |
| Nymph | Caddis Pupa | 16-18 | Work riffles and pocket water on safer alternatives |
| Other | Stream Thermometer | Not reported | Required in this heat; stop targeting trout whenever water approaches 68 F |
Tactics
Do not try to build a short trout window on the Beaverkill today. It is already too warm in the morning, and hooking fish in that water puts unnecessary stress on them. If you are in Roscoe, move to a cold tailwater, fish a reservoir edge, or switch to bass, panfish, or another warmwater option. If you check any trout water yourself, take a temperature before fishing and stop immediately if readings approach 68 F. Watch the afternoon radar and get off open water if thunder develops.
Gauge Links
| Gauge | Flow | Temp | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEAVER KILL AT COOKS FALLS NY | 118 cfs | 68.7 F | USGS 01420500 |
| WILLOWEMOC CREEK NR LIVINGSTON MANOR NY | 29.6 cfs | 61.0 F | USGS 01419500 |
Sources
Official sources checked: USGS stations 01420500 and 01419500, plus the National Weather Service forecast for the Livingston Manor and Roscoe, 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, method, and trout-temperature safety context.