Beaverkill Weekly Fishing Report - July 13, 2025

A check with the USGS website on Sunday afternoon showed that the Beaverkill at Cooks Falls was flowing at 207 cubic feet per second, just above the Median average flow of 182 cfs but below the mean average flow of 271 cfs over 111 years of record-keeping. The water temperature was 71 degrees Fahrenheit, and heading up, as air temperatures were a muggy 79 degrees, predicted to reach the 80s by the end of the afternoon. The Willowemoc was faring a bit better, measuring at 67.2 cfs or slightly above the average flow of 65 based on 39 years of record-keeping, and water temperature of just about 69 degrees F.

However, those who fish for trout will realize that these are not conditions conducive for good fishing, as many of us have found out this past week with similar weather and stream conditions, with water temperatures in the high 60s to 70s and the Beaverkill in the 70s all week.

The best fishing to be found during these “dog days” of summer is in the Tailwater fisheries, where cold water bottom releases from NYC reservoirs provide a cooling respite for the trout as well as for the trout fishers! Many a hot day has been made much more comfortable after heading to one of these fisheries, suiting up on an 80-degree day only to step into cool water down in the 50-degree range!

Fly hatches have been of the mid-summer variety, such as small Sulphurs in sizes #18-20, tiny Blue-Winged Olives in sizes #20-24 and some Light Cahills. Isonychias have been reported sporadically, this is a favorite hatch that starts back up in September.

Beaverkill Weekly Fishing Report - July 6, 2025

July dawned bright and sunny, with temperatures that rose throughout the week. Fishing this week has been a bit challenging; an evening trip on Friday to the Beaverkill and Willowemoc above Roscoe was slow, despite favorable flows and water conditions - air temps at 72 degrees and water at 67. No flies or hatches were seen, nor rises, despite fishing hard with an Isonychia dry fly upstream, a Baby Brown Trout streamer down, back up with a Green Meanie dry, back down with a Gold-Ribbed Hare’s Ear nymph and Royal Coachman wet fly combo and finally an Adams at dark.

During this heat-of-summer time, anglers are reminded to bring along a stream thermometer and use it - the best times to fish now are early mornings and later in the evenings through dark. And when water temperatures rise to 70 degrees, it’s best to head upstream or try the smaller tributaries (and take a water temperature there, as well!) or head to the cool, refreshing Tailwater fisheries of the East and West branches of the Delaware or the Neversink below the dams.

Beaverkill Weekly Fishing Report - June 29, 2025

Fishing this past week had been disappointing. With water levels beginning to recede by mid-week, a trip to the Beaverkill on Tuesday evening above Roscoe resulted in a very quiet evening. The river was still high, with the 7:00 p.m. water temperature at just 70 degrees, and very few flies on the water save for a couple of Light Cahills. No rises were noted.

At this writing on Sunday evening, the flow on the Beaverkill at Cooks Falls was gently receding to about 397 cubic feet per second, a healthy amount of water which is still above the average flow of 212 cfs over 111 years of record-keeping. The water temperature reached 72 degrees Fahrenheit before heading back down into the evening.

Anglers should note that beginning Tuesday, July 1, fishing on the stretch of the lower Beaverkill from the Iron Bridge at Horton downstream to the first Route 17 overpass is prohibited from July 1 through August 31, to protect thermally stressed trout. (Trout fishers would be wise to carry a water thermometer with them during these summer months; once water temperatures reach the 70s it’s time to look for cooler waters to fish - such as further upstream, perhaps a cooler tributary or in a smaller stream, or on one of the Tailwater fisheries below the NYC reservoirs.)