Beaverkill-Willowemoc Fishing Report: August 27, 2026

Quick Summary

The Beaverkill-Willowemoc system is fishable early, but low flows and late-August warmth make this a short-window trout report. USGS showed the Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls at 203 cfs, 1.67 feet, and 63.7 F, while Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor was 52.9 cfs, 2.00 feet, and 60.3 F during the morning check. Both gauges are lower than yesterday morning, and the National Weather Service forecast for Roscoe includes showers and thunderstorms with a high near 76 F. Fish the cooler morning, shaded riffles, and pocket water; carry a thermometer, respect the Beaverkill thermal closure, stop near 68 F, and leave the river during thunderstorms.

Conditions Snapshot

Field	Value
Status	Fair. Morning temperatures are workable and flows are wadeable, but low water, falling flows, afternoon warmth, and thunderstorms keep the margin narrow
Flow	203 cfs at Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls; 52.9 cfs on Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor
Gauge Height	1.67 feet at Cooks Falls; 2.00 feet at Livingston Manor
Water Temp	63.7 F at Cooks Falls; 60.3 F on Willowemoc Creek near Livingston Manor
Clarity	Not reported by official gauges; current local context emphasizes low freestone flows rather than dirty water
Trend	Falling compared with yesterday morning on both gauges
Best Window	Morning, shaded riffles, and the last hour of light only if water temperatures remain safe
Best Method	Small dries, ants, wet flies, and light nymphs in riffles, pocket water, and shaded seams
Wadeability	Good to limited. Many reaches are passable on foot, but low clear water requires slow approaches and careful handling of trout

Weather

For Roscoe, the National Weather Service forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies, showers and thunderstorms likely at times, a high near 76 F, and south wind around 7 mph. Rainfall could reach a half to three quarters of an inch today, with more showers and thunderstorms possible tonight. Rain may help these freestones later if it reaches the watershed, but thunder and lightning should end the session immediately.

River Notes

The Beaver Kill and Willowemoc are both lower than yesterday, and the Willowemoc again starts cooler than the Beaver Kill. That creates a fishable morning, not a license to grind through warm afternoon water. Focus on riffles, pocket water, shaded banks, and pool heads where colder water, oxygen, and cover overlap.

Current Catskill source context is current for today and points anglers toward tailwaters as the better all-day trout choice because the freestones are very low. For the Beaverkill-Willowemoc, keep the plan light and mobile: small dries, terrestrials, soft hackles, and sparse nymph rigs. The Beaverkill Horton Brook thermal-regulation closure remains in effect from Iron Bridge at Horton downstream to the first Route 17 overpass through August 31.

Hatch Activity

Official gauges do not report hatches. Current Catskill source context supports Blue Winged Olives, Hebes, flying ants, beetles, Isonychias, Light Cahills, tan caddis, rusty spinners, and remaining sulphurs. On low freestone water, terrestrials and small olives are practical daytime choices, with spinners and larger mayflies more likely near dark if water temperatures allow.

Hatch	Size	Notes
Blue Winged Olive	18-22	Best in shade, damp seams, and soft evening light
Hebe	18-20	Worth carrying with olives during late-summer cloudy periods
Flying Ant or Beetle	16-24	Use along banks, foam lines, and quiet tailouts when low-water trout are selective
Isonychia	12-14	Fish dries, wets, or swimming nymphs in faster pocket lanes and riffle edges
Light Cahill	14-16	Useful as a searching dry during mixed evening activity
Sulphur	16-20	Fading, but still part of the late-August box for cooler windows
Tan Caddis	16-18	Fish pupa or soft hackles in riffles when no steady rises show
Rusty Spinner	12-20	Keep ready for the last light if temperatures are safe

Recommended Flies

Category	Fly	Size	Notes
Dry	BWO Comparadun, CDC Olive, or Parachute Adams	18-22	Cover small olives in shaded seams, slicks, and quiet tailouts
Dry	Flying Ant, Hebe, beetle, or foam ant	16-24	Late-summer choice for banks, foam lines, and selective low-water fish
Dry	Isonychia Parachute, Light Cahill, Sulphur, or Rusty Spinner	12-20	Search riffles and be ready for evening surface work
Wet	Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, Partridge and Orange, or Isonychia Wet	12-18	Swing through pocket seams and riffle tails before or between rises
Nymph	Pheasant Tail, Frenchie, Hare's Ear, caddis pupa, or Isonychia Nymph	12-20	Keep weight light and target oxygenated pocket water rather than slow shallow pools
Streamer	Small Woolly Bugger or sculpin	6-10	Only worth a short low-light or rain-stained test along shaded banks

Tactics

Fish this like late August, even with a cooler morning. Start on the Willowemoc or shaded Beaver Kill riffles if temperatures are safe, stay low, and make the first drift count. A small olive, ant, soft hackle, or light nymph will usually fit the water better than a heavy indicator rig. Keep a thermometer handy, stop targeting trout if the water approaches 68 F, avoid the closed Horton Brook thermal-refuge reach, and shift to colder tailwater water if the freestones warm too quickly. Do not fish through lightning.

Gauge Links

Gauge	Flow	Temp	Link
BEAVER KILL AT COOKS FALLS NY	203 cfs	63.7 F	USGS 01420500
WILLOWEMOC CREEK NR LIVINGSTON MANOR NY	52.9 cfs	60.3 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.