Beaverkill-Willowemoc Fishing Report: October 25, 2026

Quick Summary

The Beaverkill is falling through 208 cfs at Cooks Falls with 43 F water. The Willowemoc is much lower near 49 cfs, leaving the Beaverkill with the better depth and more practical holding water. Let the cold morning warm before looking for small olives in the afternoon; nymphs and wet flies should cover the slower hours. Stay off clean spawning gravel and give paired brown and brook trout room.

Conditions Snapshot

Field	Value
Status	Fair due to low freestone flows
Flow	208 cfs at Cooks Falls at 7:00 a.m. EDT
Water Temp	43 F at Cooks Falls at 7:00 a.m. EDT
Clarity	Not reported
Trend	Falling slowly
Best Window	Midday through late afternoon
Best Method	Nymphs and wet flies, with dries for steady rises
Wadeability	Good, but avoid shallow holding water and spawning gravel

Weather

The National Weather Service forecasts sunshine, a high near 62 F, and west wind around 3 mph. Tonight should be mostly clear with a low near 34 F and brief patchy fog. Monday remains sunny with a high near 64 F. No active weather alerts were posted for the Livingston Manor area during the morning check.

River Notes

Cooks Falls has eased from 217 cfs Saturday morning to 208 cfs today. The Willowemoc dropped from roughly 51 cfs to 49 cfs over the same period. Those changes are small, but both streams remain low enough to concentrate trout and make poor approaches costly. Favor the Beaverkill's deeper runs, pool heads, and shaded banks. On the Willowemoc, fish from the bank where possible and leave thin pools alone.

The cold morning water should delay most surface activity. Current local context points to afternoon olives, with occasional Isonychia and Light Cahills useful as searching flies around riffles and pocket water. Brown and brook trout are spawning. Do not fish over paired trout, step on redds, or cross pale, freshly cleaned gravel.

Hatch Activity

Hatch	Size	Notes
Blue Winged Olive	18-22	The main afternoon surface opportunity
Isonychia	14	Use around riffles and pocket water during slower periods
Light Cahill	14-16	Possible late-season searching pattern in broken water
Tan Caddis	16-18	Pupa and wet flies remain useful below the surface

Recommended Flies

Category	Fly	Size	Notes
Nymphs	Pheasant Tail Nymph	16-18	Fish lightly weighted through deeper runs during the cold morning
Wet Flies	Soft Hackle	16-18	Swing through riffle tails as the water warms
Nymphs	Caddis Pupa	16-18	Use as a trailer in pocket water and pool heads
Dries	Blue Winged Olive	18-22	Reserve for trout rising steadily during the afternoon
Dries	Light Cahill	14-16	Use sparingly as a searching fly in broken water

Tactics

Begin on the Beaverkill with a small nymph or soft hackle in the deepest part of a run. Keep the rig light enough to avoid repeatedly hanging bottom in the low flow. Watch slower edges and pool tails after midday, then switch to a small olive only when trout rise consistently. On the Willowemoc, lengthen the leader, approach from downstream, and limit wading. Check the regulations for the specific stream section before fishing during the fall catch-and-release period.

Gauge Links

Gauge	Flow	Temp	Link
Beaver Kill at Cooks Falls (01420500)	208 cfs	43 F	USGS
Willowemoc Creek at Livingston Manor (01419500)	49 cfs	42 F	USGS

Sources

Official sources checked were the United States Geological Survey gauges at Cooks Falls and Livingston Manor and the National Weather Service point forecast and active-alert feed for Livingston Manor, New York. Gauge values are provisional and were checked at 8:02 a.m. Eastern.