Willowemoc Creek in New York State

The Willowemoc Creek in the southern portion of the Catskill Mountains in New York State is one of the most popular streams in the Empire State. It is a 26 mile long tributary of the Beaver Kill and it has much more public access than does the Beaver Kill. The Willowemoc Creek is a beautiful freestone trout stream in a very scenic area of the lovely Catskill Mountains. It is populated by trout in the range of 9” to 12” with an occasional brown trout that can reach 18” or more. All in all it may offer as much fun as its more famous sister, the Beaver Kill; and another thing, the Willowemoc is easily accessible from SR 17 and RT 79 North.

The Willowemoc Creek can be broken into three distinct sections. The upper section of the Willowemoc runs from Fir Brook down to the Village of Willowemoc. The middle section follows from the Village of Willowemoc to Livingston Manor, and the lower section continues below Livingston Manor to where it meets the Beaver Kill at "Junction Pool" in Roscoe. The Willowemoc Creek offers different trout habitat in each of the three sections.

The lower sections of the Willowemoc is a fairly large stream reaching widths of 100 feet or more and you may wonder why it is called a creek and not a river at this point. This section resembles the Beaver Kill with many riffles and runs over rocky ledges. It has a 2.4 mile section that is designated “No Kill” where the hatchery raised trout can be expected to be a little larger. It begins at Bascom Brook and ends at the overpass below Hazel Brook. This portion of the Willowemoc is easy accessible and open to the public

The middle section of the Willowemoc is obviously not as large as the lower section and will average about 25 to 45 feet wide. The water is faster moving and creates small pools as it tumbles over the gravel bottom and small boulders. The brook trout are still present as they try to compete with the larger brown trout. However, when fishing the middle portion, be sure to obey the signs as much of this section flows over private land.

The upper section of the Willowemoc is your typical small, clear brook trout stream averaging less than 15 feet wide with many springs to keep it cool. In addition to the brookies in the main stream, it also has many small tributaries with populations of brook trout. The trout are somewhat smaller averaging 8” to 10” or 11”.

At Livingston Manor, NY you will have the pleasant experience of visiting the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum. Here is an excerpt from their web site: “A procession of fishermen, fly tyers, rodmakers, entomologists, riverkeepers, and outdoor writers, through their innovations, gave rise to one of the richest traditions in fly-fishing history - a tradition that established the Catskills as the "Birthplace of American Fly Fishing".

Spring:

Late spring means lots of aquatic insect hatches and some good dry fly fishing, and it is probably the best time to
fish Willowemoc Creek. The Willowemoc is good to the novice as well as the experienced fishermen. Start the Spring with the Blue winged Olives, the Black Caddis and the Blue Quills in either the nymph or the dry fly patterns.

Summer:

In the summer, be careful because there may not be enough rain to provide a sufficient habitat for the trout. If that is the case, move on to the East Branch of the Delaware River. In May and June fook for the Hendrickson and the March Brown hatches to kick off the summer months.
 

Fall/Winter:

The browns will be entering the Willowemoc to spawn in the fall. In the winter, a few warm days will trigger the midge hatches and the midge nymph pattens will be the best bet at that time. The "No Kill" section offers fishing year around.