Beaverkill-Willowemoc Fishing Report: August 15, 2026

Quick Summary

The Beaverkill and Willowemoc are still a morning trout option, not an all-day plan. USGS showed the Beaverkill at Cooks Falls at 434 cfs, 2.49 feet, and 63.7 F near the morning check, while the Willowemoc near Livingston Manor was 93 cfs, 2.23 feet, and 60.6 F. Those readings are fishable early, but recent Catskills source context continues to warn that the freestones are close enough to 68 F that anglers should move to colder tailwaters by afternoon. Fish early with nymphs, wet flies, and careful dry-fly observation, then use a thermometer and quit trout fishing if temperatures climb toward 68 F.

Conditions Snapshot

Field	Value
Status	Fair. Morning conditions are fishable, but afternoon trout temperatures remain the main constraint
Flow	434 cfs at Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls; 93 cfs at Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor
Gauge Height	2.49 feet at Cooks Falls; 2.23 feet near Livingston Manor
Water Temp	63.7 F at Cooks Falls; 60.6 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 and evening plan
Best Method	Nymphs and wet flies before hatch activity develops; dry flies only where water temperatures and rising fish justify it
Wadeability	Good in normal access areas, with standard caution around slick ledges, fast pockets, and deeper slots

Weather

For the Roscoe area, the National Weather Service forecast calls for patchy fog giving way to mostly sunny weather, a high near 77 F, and light north wind around 0 to 5 mph. Tonight should be partly cloudy with a low near 54 F. The cool start helps the morning window, but sun and a warm afternoon can still push freestone temperatures into stressful trout range.

River Notes

The Beaverkill and Willowemoc have useful early water after another cool night, but they are still summer freestones. The Beaverkill was 63.7 F near the morning check at Cooks Falls and the Willowemoc was 60.6 F near Livingston Manor. That is safe enough to start the day, especially in faster oxygenated water, but it does not remove the need to check temperatures as the sun gets higher.

Current Catskills source context still points anglers toward tailwaters for the afternoon and evening and keeps the 68 F trout threshold front and center. 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. Leave that water alone, and leave the wider freestone trout alone if your thermometer starts moving toward the upper 60s.

Hatch Activity

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

Hatch	Size	Notes
Blue Winged Olive	16-22	Best under softer light or around changing weather, 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 riffles and broken 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, foam lines, and undercut edges

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 and make temperature the deciding factor. Start with an Isonychia nymph or a smaller mayfly nymph in faster, oxygenated water, then swing a wet fly through riffles and tailouts if bugs are active but fish are not on top. 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 safer trout plan is usually 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	434 cfs	63.7 F	USGS 01420500
WILLOWEMOC CREEK NR LIVINGSTON MANOR NY	93 cfs	60.6 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.