Beaverkill River Fishing

Possibly no other trout river in North America is known as widely within the continent, and outside it, as New York’s Beaverkill. And no other river has been as widely written about or so detailed in contemporary trout and fly fishing literature.

Situated in the southwestern section of the Catskills, the Beaverkill is, in general terms, a relatively modest body of water, flowing some 45 miles to its confluence with the East Branch of the Delaware River. The upper half is almost entirely privately owned. From Roscoe, which is billed as “Trout Town USA,” the Beaverkill is joined by the (mostly publicly accessible) Willowemoc Creek at famous Junction Pool. Here, it becomes a larger river with a generous amount of classic water, and the remaining 20-mile length is open to public fishing. This includes a good bit of renowned no-kill water, which produces excellent catch-and-release fishing with artificial lures only all season long, but especially when major hatches occur. The two stretches of water with these special regulations provide the best angling, but these oft-released fish are no dummies.

Brown trout are the primary catch, although anglers take an occasional rainbow. Dry flies are preferred by most anglers, especially because the many well-known pools of the Beaverkill are hallowed dry-fly waters. There’s barely a time when the favored pools are bereft of anglers. Many travel from faraway locales to give the Beaverkill a fling.

The Beaverkill receives perhaps disproportionate glory, as numerous Catskill trout rivers and streams are noteworthy in their own right. These cold, clean mountain waters include Esopus Creek, the East and West Branches of the Delaware River, Willowemoc Creek, Schoharie Creek, Catskill Creek, Callicoon Creek, the Neversink River, Rondout Creek, East and West Kill Creeks, and Batavia Kill. Numerous brooks exist as well, and more than 1,500 miles of trout flowage grace the Catskills.

Brown trout, the bulwark of these waters, were imported to the region eons ago. Today, they are found in “native” and stocked forms, primarily in lower and midreaches. The truly native brook trout is widely dispersed as well, especially in headwater streams and spring-fed tributaries. Rainbow trout are the least common species but are scattered about; they occur mainly in larger flowages, especially the stems of the Delaware River, and inhabit some unexpected small waters.

Although Catskill trout fishing starts on the traditional April 1 opening day, better conditions occur after the cold runoff ebbs, the water warms, and the hatches are more pronounced. May and June are terrific months. Insect hatches vary, but a partial and general guide is as follows: quill gordons and hendricksons from mid-April through mid-May; March browns from mid-May through early June; sulfur duns from late May through early July; green drakes from early to mid-June; light cahills and yellow drakes from mid-June through mid-August.

The summer often produces low water conditions, although spring seepages and forested banks help keep small streams cool. Trout anglers focus their attention on Beaverkill River, Willowemoc Creek, and Esopus Creek, as well as the upper Delaware River and its branches. These locations witness many visitors on weekends and summer evenings.