Beaverkill-Willowemoc Fishing Report: August 14, 2026

Quick Summary

The Beaverkill and Willowemoc are a morning-only trout option today, not an all-day green light. USGS showed the Beaverkill at Cooks Falls at 557 cfs, 2.80 feet, and 63.9 F during the morning check, while the Willowemoc near Livingston Manor was 122 cfs, 2.36 feet, and 61.9 F. Those morning temperatures are fishable, but local Catskills context continues to warn that the freestones are getting close enough to 68 F that anglers should move to colder tailwaters for the afternoon and evening. Fish early with nymphs, wet flies, and careful dry-fly observation, then carry a thermometer and stop targeting trout if the water climbs toward 68 F.

Conditions Snapshot

Field	Value
Status	Fair. Morning conditions are fishable, but afternoon trout temperatures remain the limiting factor
Flow	557 cfs at Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls; 122 cfs at Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor
Gauge Height	2.80 feet at Cooks Falls; 2.36 feet near Livingston Manor
Water Temp	63.9 F at Cooks Falls; 61.9 F near Livingston Manor during the morning check
Clarity	Not reported by official gauges
Trend	Falling over the last day on both gauges
Best Window	Early morning on the freestones before temperatures rise; colder tailwaters are the better afternoon plan
Best Method	Nymphs and wet flies before hatch activity develops; dry flies only where temperatures and rising fish justify it
Wadeability	Good in normal access areas, but respect pocket-water push and slick ledges after recent higher water

Weather

For the Roscoe area, the National Weather Service forecast calls for sunny weather with a high near 79 F, light northwest wind around 0 to 6 mph, and a slight chance of showers or thunderstorms late in the afternoon. Tonight should be mostly clear with a low near 52 F. The cool night helps the morning window, but bright sun and a warm afternoon can still push freestone temperatures into stressful trout range.

River Notes

The Beaverkill and Willowemoc have better morning water than they did during the hottest part of the week, but this is still summer freestone fishing. The Beaverkill was 63.9 F at Cooks Falls and the Willowemoc was 61.9 F near Livingston Manor during the morning USGS checks. That is fishable at first light and through the cooler part of the morning, but anglers should not assume it will hold through the afternoon.

Current Catskills source context continues to point anglers toward tailwaters later in the day and notes that the freestones are close enough to 68 F to deserve caution. The Beaverkill Horton Brook thermal refuge regulation remains in effect from the Iron Bridge at Horton downstream to the first Route 17 overpass, where angling is prohibited from July 1 through August 31. Treat that closure as a hard boundary, not a suggestion.

Hatch Activity

Official gauges do not report hatches. Current Catskills source context supports small olives, sulphurs, tan caddis, Light Cahills, Isonychias, and rusty spinners, with terrestrials becoming more useful as summer continues.

Hatch	Size	Notes
Blue Winged Olive	16-22	Best under softer light or around late-day showers, if water temperatures stay safe
Sulphur	16-20	More reliable on colder tailwater sections than on warm freestones later in the day
Tan Caddis	16-18	Cover with pupa, soft hackles, and adults in broken riffle water
Light Cahill	14-16	Low-light searching dry and spinner option
Isonychia	10-14	Important nymph and wet-fly profile in fast water and riffles
Rusty Spinner	10-22	Keep a range ready for evening spinner activity where temperatures allow fishing
Ants and Beetles	14-20	Useful summer prospecting flies along shaded banks and foam lines

Recommended Flies

Category	Fly	Size	Notes
Nymph	Isonychia Nymph	10-14	Good first choice in fast pockets, riffles, and larger seams
Nymph	Pheasant Tail, Frenchie, or Hare's Ear	14-18	Cover smaller mayfly activity before fish rise
Wet	Partridge and Orange, Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, or Isonychia Wet	12-18	Swing through broken water when bugs are active but fish are not on top
Dry	BWO Comparadun or CDC Olive	16-22	Use for small riseforms in cooler, softer-light windows
Dry	Sulphur Emerger or Sparkle Dun	16-20	Carry, but favor colder water if the freestones warm quickly
Dry	Light Cahill, Isonychia Parachute, or Rusty Spinner	10-16	Low-light searching and spinner coverage
Dry	Flying Ant or Beetle	14-20	Bank and shaded-edge option during terrestrial season

Tactics

Fish the freestones early, keep the rig simple, and build the day around water temperature rather than the clock. Start with an Isonychia nymph or small mayfly nymph in faster oxygenated water, then swing a wet fly through riffles and tailouts if bugs are moving. If trout rise, use a long leader and a single dry or dry-and-emerger pair, but check the thermometer before extending the session. By midday, the better trout decision is often to leave the Beaverkill and Willowemoc alone and move to colder Delaware tailwater water.

Gauge Links

Gauge	Flow	Temp	Link
BEAVER KILL AT COOKS FALLS NY	557 cfs	63.9 F	USGS 01420500
WILLOWEMOC CREEK NR LIVINGSTON MANOR NY	122 cfs	61.9 F	USGS 01419500

Sources

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