Beaverkill-Willowemoc Fishing Report: July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The Beaverkill-Willowemoc is still a conservation-first trout report. USGS showed the Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls at 130 cfs and 68.4 F during the morning check, while the Willowemoc gauge's latest available official reading was 28.4 cfs and 72.1 F from the prior afternoon. That combination is too close to, or already above, the safe catch-and-release line for trout. If you are fishing the Catskills today, use a thermometer before making a cast, keep any freestone trout effort to a short dawn check only if the exact water is safely below 68 F, and plan on cold release water for a full session.

Conditions Snapshot

Field	Value
Status	Tough and temperature-limited for trout; the Beaver Kill was 68.4 F during the morning USGS check
Flow	130 cfs at Cooks Falls on the Beaver Kill; 28.4 cfs near Livingston Manor on the Willowemoc
Gauge Height	1.26 feet at Cooks Falls; 1.87 feet near Livingston Manor
Water Temp	68.4 F on the Beaver Kill during the morning USGS check; Willowemoc's latest available USGS temperature was 72.1 F the prior afternoon
Clarity	Not reported by official gauges; low summer freestone flow and warm water are the controlling details
Trend	Falling and low on the Beaver Kill compared with yesterday morning; Willowemoc official data was not fully current at report time
Best Window	Thermometer-first at dawn only, then move to cold tailwater before the freestones warm further
Best Method	Do not press warm trout water. Fish cold release water instead, or choose non-trout warmwater options
Wadeability	Good from a footing standpoint, but temperature controls whether trout fishing is responsible

Weather

For Roscoe and Livingston Manor, the National Weather Service forecast calls for smoke, mostly sunny skies, and a high near 80 F. Wind should be west around 2 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Tonight is forecast partly cloudy with smoke and a low around 57 F. The lower high helps compared with the hottest stretch, but the water is already warm enough that trout decisions need to be made with a stream thermometer, not the air forecast.

River Notes

The Beaver Kill is already at the 68 F caution line in the morning, which leaves little margin before afternoon warming. The Willowemoc's latest official temperature reading was from the prior afternoon and was above the safe catch-and-release range, so do not assume it is safe just because the current flow is low and wadeable. Recent Catskills reporting has continued to steer anglers away from warm freestones and toward colder tailwaters during this summer pattern. The summer Horton Brook thermal closure on the Beaverkill remains in effect from Iron Bridge at Horton downstream to the first Route 17 overpass, where angling is prohibited July 1 through August 31.

Hatch Activity

The summer Catskills box still includes sulphurs, olives, Isonychias, light Cahills, tan caddis, yellow sallies, terrestrials, and rusty spinners, but today those patterns belong on cold water. Do not chase rises in freestone water that is near or above 68 F. If a shaded reach is safely cold at dawn, keep the session short and stop as soon as the temperature starts to climb.

Hatch	Size	Notes
Blue Winged Olive	18-22	Relevant on cold tailwater or verified cool shaded water, not warming Beaverkill pools
Sulphur	16-20	Better matched on cold release water today than on warm freestone reaches
Light Cahill	14-16	Carry for colder alternatives and evening water only if temperatures remain safe
Isonychia	10-12	A useful searching bug on cold riffle edges and tailwaters
Tan Caddis	16-18	Pupa and soft hackles can work where water temperatures stay safe
Yellow Sally	14-16	Worth having for cold broken water
Ants and Beetles	14-20	Good summer bank patterns, but only where trout water is cold enough
Rusty Spinner	14-20	Skip the freestone spinner game unless water is safely below 68 F

Recommended Flies

Category	Fly	Size	Notes
Dry	BWO Comparadun or CDC Dun	18-22	Use on cold tailwater or verified safe water only
Dry	Sulphur Comparadun or Sparkle Dun	16-20	Better fit for cold release water today
Dry	Light Cahill or Parachute Adams	14-16	Visible searching dry for colder alternatives
Dry	Isonychia Parachute	10-12	Prospecting fly where temperatures are safe
Dry	Yellow Sally	14-16	Cold riffle option when stoneflies are active
Dry	Ant or Beetle	14-20	Summer bank option for cold water
Dry	Rusty Spinner	14-20	Only for evening water verified below the trout-stress line
Nymph	Pheasant Tail or Frenchie	14-18	For cold-water alternatives or verified safe freestone water
Nymph	Isonychia Nymph	10-12	Use on cold riffle edges and seams
Wet	Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail or Partridge and Yellow	14-18	Useful where trout water is cold enough to fish responsibly
Nymph	Tan Caddis Pupa	16-18	Dropper option for colder water

Tactics

Make the thermometer the first tool out of the pack. If the exact water is 68 F or warmer, do not target trout. If a shaded reach is safely colder at dawn, fish lightly, land fish quickly, keep them wet, and leave before the water warms. Low flow makes trout easier to spook and harder to recover, so avoid repeated drifts over fish that will not eat. For a normal trout outing, drive to cold release water instead of trying to make warm freestone water work through a smoky July day.

Gauge Links

Gauge	Flow	Temp	Link
BEAVER KILL AT COOKS FALLS NY	130 cfs	68.4 F	USGS 01420500
WILLOWEMOC CREEK NR LIVINGSTON MANOR NY	28.4 cfs latest reported prior afternoon	72.1 F latest reported prior afternoon	USGS 01419500

Sources

Official sources checked: USGS stations 01420500 and 01419500, plus the National Weather Service forecast for the Roscoe and 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, method, regulation, and safety context.