Beaverkill-Willowemoc Fishing Report: August 25, 2026

Quick Summary

The Beaverkill-Willowemoc system is fishable this morning, but the best trout window is still a disciplined one. USGS showed the Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls at 239 cfs, 1.83 feet, and 62.1 F, while Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor was 60.6 cfs, 2.05 feet, and 59.2 F during the morning check. Both gauges are lower than yesterday morning, and the National Weather Service forecast for Roscoe calls for scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Fish early, shaded, and oxygenated water first; carry a thermometer, avoid closed thermal-refuge water, and stop targeting trout if readings approach 68 F.

Conditions Snapshot

Field	Value
Status	Fair. Morning temperatures and wadeable flows are workable, but falling water, summer warmth, and thunderstorm risk shorten the cleanest trout window
Flow	239 cfs at Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls; 60.6 cfs on Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor
Gauge Height	1.83 feet at Cooks Falls; 2.05 feet at Livingston Manor
Water Temp	62.1 F at Cooks Falls; 59.2 F on Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor
Clarity	Not reported by official gauges; recent regional context described the freestones as in good August shape
Trend	Falling compared with yesterday morning on both gauges
Best Window	Morning, shaded rain-cooled periods, and any storm-free evening after checking water temperature
Best Method	Small dries, ants, wet flies, and light nymphs in riffles, pocket water, and shaded seams
Wadeability	Good to limited. Many reaches are wadeable, but clear water and slick freestone footing call for careful approaches

Weather

For Roscoe, the National Weather Service forecast calls for partly sunny skies early, then scattered rain showers and thunderstorms from midday into the afternoon with a high near 71 F. Northwest wind should run 5 to 8 mph. Tonight turns partly cloudy with isolated early showers and patchy fog. The clouds and showers may help olives or ants, but lightning ends the session, and a small rain event can still move debris or stain through freestone pockets.

River Notes

The Beaver Kill and Willowemoc are in usable morning temperature shape, with the Willowemoc still the cooler of the two gauges. Lower flows make wading more available, but they also make fish more exposed and reduce the afternoon thermal cushion. Start in riffles, pocket water, shaded banks, and broken seams where trout have oxygen and cover.

Recent Catskill source context supports the same late-August mix: sulphurs fading, Blue Winged Olives gaining importance, Hebes, white flies, flying ants, Isonychias, Light Cahills, caddis pupa, pheasant-tail-style nymphs, soft hackles, and Frenchies. That gives anglers several good matching options, but not permission to pressure warm slow water. Also respect the Beaverkill Horton Brook thermal-regulation closure from Iron Bridge at Horton downstream to the first Route 17 overpass through August 31.

Hatch Activity

Official gauges do not report hatches. Recent Catskill context supports Blue Winged Olives, fading sulphurs, Hebes, white flies, flying ants, Isonychias, Light Cahills, caddis, and evening spinner activity. On these freestones, small terrestrials and olives are the most practical daytime surface plan, with larger mayflies, white flies, or spinners most likely to matter late.

Hatch	Size	Notes
Blue Winged Olive	18-22	Increasingly important in late August, especially in shade, damp weather, and broken light
Flying Ant	16-24	Useful along banks, foam lines, and quiet tailouts when trout ignore mayflies
Isonychia	12-14	Fish dries, wets, or swimming nymphs in faster water and riffles
Light Cahill	14-16	Good searching dry in riffles and evening mixed activity
White Fly	12-14	Seasonal evening option; watch softer edges and tails as light fades
Sulphur	16-18	Fading, but still possible during cooler water windows
Caddis	16-20	Fish pupa or soft hackles in riffles and pocket water when there are no steady rises

Recommended Flies

Category	Fly	Size	Notes
Dry	BWO Comparadun, CDC Olive, or Parachute Adams	18-22	Cover small olives in shaded seams and quiet tailouts
Dry	Flying Ant, Hebe, or small beetle	16-24	Use as a late-summer bank and foam-line pattern
Dry	Isonychia Parachute, Light Cahill, White Fly, or Rusty Spinner	10-16	Search riffles and be ready for the evening spinner or larger mayfly window
Wet	Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, Partridge and Orange, or Isonychia Wet	12-18	Swing through riffles and pocket seams before or between surface activity
Nymph	Pheasant Tail, Frenchie, Hare's Ear, caddis pupa, or Isonychia Nymph	12-20	Keep rigs light and targeted in oxygenated pocket water
Streamer	Small Woolly Bugger or sculpin	6-10	Only worth a short test in shaded banks or if a shower adds a little stain

Tactics

Start early with a small olive, ant, soft hackle, or light nymph in riffles and shaded seams. In clear lanes, stay low, lengthen the leader, and make the first cast count. If fish rise through a cloudy or showery window, simplify to one dry or a dry-and-emerger pair. If there is no surface activity, work a light nymph or soft hackle through oxygenated pocket water instead of slow pools. Check water temperature often, stop near 68 F, and leave the stream during thunderstorms.

Gauge Links

Gauge	Flow	Temp	Link
BEAVER KILL AT COOKS FALLS NY	239 cfs	62.1 F	USGS 01420500
WILLOWEMOC CREEK NR LIVINGSTON MANOR NY	60.6 cfs	59.2 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, clarity, and safety context.