Beaverkill-Willowemoc Fishing Report: August 11, 2026

Quick Summary

The Beaverkill and Willowemoc are improving, but this is still a selective trout day rather than a broad green light. USGS showed the Beaver Kill at 683 cfs, 3.07 feet, and 64.2 F near Cooks Falls, while Willowemoc Creek was 137 cfs, 2.42 feet, and 63.0 F near Livingston Manor during the morning check. Current Catskills source context says the rivers are dropping and clearing, with the Willowemoc offering the safer wading choices above Roscoe while the Beaverkill remains high. Fish only where temperatures stay safely below 68 F, avoid the Horton Brook thermal refuge closure, and treat the afternoon as a tailwater or non-trout window if the freestones warm.

Conditions Snapshot

Field	Value
Status	Tough. Flows and clarity are improving, but the Beaverkill remains high for summer wading and freestone temperatures need constant checking
Flow	683 cfs at Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls; 137 cfs on Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor
Gauge Height	3.07 feet at Cooks Falls; 2.42 feet near Livingston Manor
Water Temp	64.2 F at Cooks Falls; 63.0 F near Livingston Manor during the morning check
Clarity	Not reported by official gauges; current public Catskills context describes the rivers as a little off color but clearing
Trend	Falling from yesterday's 719 cfs Beaverkill and 139 cfs Willowemoc report values
Best Window	Short morning through midday window only where your thermometer shows safe trout temperatures
Best Method	Short nymph rigs, wet flies, and dry-dropper searching in softer bank water, pockets, and inside seams
Wadeability	Limited. The Willowemoc above Roscoe is the safer wading choice; the Beaverkill remains pushy

Weather

For Roscoe and Livingston Manor, the National Weather Service forecast issued around the morning check calls for partly sunny weather with a high near 80 F and northwest wind at 3 to 7 mph. A slight evening shower chance is in the forecast, with expected rainfall under a tenth of an inch. The light wind helps presentation, but warm afternoon air can push freestone temperatures toward the trout stress zone, so carry a thermometer and keep the session short.

River Notes

The Beaverkill is lower than yesterday morning, but 683 cfs at Cooks Falls is still a strong summer flow. Edge water, inside seams, and softer pockets may be fishable, but mid-river crossings and heavy riffle lanes are not worth it. If the river is still off color where you are standing, fish from the bank side or skip it.

The Willowemoc is the better wading candidate in this pair, especially above Roscoe, but water temperature is the limiting factor. Morning readings in the low to mid 60s can rise quickly under an 80 F forecast. The Horton Brook thermal refuge regulation remains in effect on the Beaverkill from Iron Bridge at Horton downstream to the first Route 17 overpass through August 31; do not fish that closed refuge water. Stop targeting trout before readings approach 68 F, and use the cold Delaware tailwaters if you want a longer trout day.

Hatch Activity

Official gauges do not report hatches. Current Catskills source context supports late-summer sulphurs, strengthening small Blue Winged Olives, Isonychias, Light Cahills, caddis, and terrestrials. Treat the hatch list as a short safe-temperature menu, not a reason to keep fishing warm freestone water.

Hatch	Size	Notes
Blue Winged Olive	18-22	Increasingly important as sulphurs fade; best under cloud cover or in shaded slicks
Sulphur	16-18	Tapering late-summer hatch; carry emergers and soft hackles for cooler windows
Isonychia	12-14	Useful nymph, wet-fly, and dry-dropper profile in faster edge water
Light Cahill	14-16	Good low-light carry pattern where water remains cold enough
Tan Caddis	14-18	Pupa and soft hackles can cover riffle edges and pocket water
Ants and Beetles	14-20	Bank and shade patterns for careful terrestrial fishing during safe temperatures

Recommended Flies

Category	Fly	Size	Notes
Nymph	Pheasant Tail, Frenchie, or Perdigon	14-18	First choice in pockets, bank seams, and walking-speed edge current
Nymph	Isonychia Nymph	10-12	Good profile for Beaverkill pocket water and faster riffle margins
Nymph	Caddis Pupa	14-18	Fish below a buoyant dry or on a short-line edge rig
Wet	Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail or Partridge and Yellow	14-18	Swing through broken current when bugs are present but rises are scattered
Dry	BWO Comparadun or CDC Emerger	18-22	Use only when fish show in water that remains safely cool
Dry	Sulphur Sparkle Dun or Light Cahill	14-18	Carry for protected morning and low-light surface activity
Dry	Isonychia Parachute or Foam Iso	10-14	Good lead fly for dry-dropper work along pocket edges
Dry	Ant or Beetle	14-20	Fish tight to shaded banks if your thermometer says trout water is still safe
Streamer	Small Woolly Bugger or Sculpin	6-10	Use only in cool stained edge water; avoid long fights and warm-water handling

Tactics

Make the Willowemoc your first look if you want to wade, especially above Roscoe, and keep the Beaverkill plan bank-side and conservative. Use a short nymph or wet-fly rig in pocket water until fish show. If you find rising fish in cool water, switch to a BWO, sulphur, or small terrestrial with a clean drift and light tippet. Check temperature often, stop before 68 F, and stay completely out of the Horton Brook thermal refuge closure. If footing, clarity, or temperature is questionable, move to colder tailwater water instead of forcing the freestones.

Gauge Links

Gauge	Flow	Temp	Link
BEAVER KILL AT COOKS FALLS NY	683 cfs	64.2 F	USGS 01420500
WILLOWEMOC CREEK NR LIVINGSTON MANOR NY	137 cfs	63.0 F	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, method, access, and safety context.