Wade · Best fit92/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
All New York reports
Fly fishing report · Northeast
Schoharie Creek
Is Schoharie Creek worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for New York before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: Tyler A. McNeil Opens in a new tab. · CC BY-SA 4.0
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Good fishing
Yes. Fishing looks good.
92
Good fishing based on the verified flow and weather. No official live water-temperature reading is available. Carry a thermometer during warm weather and stop if the water is stressful for trout.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.
Score calculated Aug 22, 2026, 10:48 PM EDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Best access methodWade
These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.
Bank / edgeNot recommended
This report does not recommend bank fishing on this reach.
FloatNot recommended
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Your plan
Today's Schoharie Creek plan.
Schoharie Creek can fish well when flows are stable and cool, but mountain rain can change clarity and wading safety quickly. Start with the Lexington gauge.
- Check first
- Use Lexington flow before choosing riffles, pools, or smaller stream water.
- Try
- Use the gauge to decide whether to fish the main creek or smaller water.
- Leave when
- Skip or pivot when thunderstorms are building, the creek is rising or turbid, wading is pushy, public access is uncertain, water is too warm for trout handling, or current trout rules are not confirmed.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 61 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air now
- 63°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 74.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 16%
For this forecast period
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
Latest stored weather check
Slight Chance Rain Showers
Slight Chance Rain Showers
- Wind
- 2 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Schoharie Creek near Lexington
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Schoharie Creek near Lexington
How to fish it
How to fish Schoharie Creek today.
The best Schoharie plan is simple: stable flow, cool water, and public access. If the creek is high or stained, fish edges only where safe or switch to smaller stream water.
Clear and low
Use stealth, smaller dries, and light nymphs in shaded pockets.
Stable medium
Dry-dropper rigs and nymphs cover riffles, pocket water, and seams.
Rising or dirty
Do not chase mid-channel water. Use edges or wait.
Warm summer
Check temperature and protect trout during hot afternoons.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Riffle
- A riffle is shallow, fast water broken by rocks.
- Seam
- A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
- Tailout
- A tailout is the shallow, slower water at the lower end of a pool.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Dry-dropper
- A dry-dropper rig has a floating fly with an underwater fly tied below it.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
Why this call
Why this score
FlowHelps
USGS shows 61 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1999-2025, 27 readings) show a typical middle range of 18 cfs to 94 cfs. Flow is within the typical range for this date, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.
SeasonHelps
Summer: Fish early, shade, and cooler tributary influence only when temperatures allow.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 63F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 74F. Slight Chance Rain Showers.
Public alertsHelps
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Fishing usefulnessHelps
Skip or pivot when thunderstorms are building, the creek is rising or turbid, wading is pushy, public access is uncertain, water is too warm for trout handling, or current trout rules are not confirmed.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use RiverReports and USGS 01349705 near Lexington together. Stable cool water is best. Rising storm flow, poor visibility, or warm low water should move the plan to safer edges or a different creek.
Skip or pivot when thunderstorms are building, the creek is rising or turbid, wading is pushy, public access is uncertain, water is too warm for trout handling, or current trout rules are not confirmed.
Start with the Lexington gauge, weather over the Catskills, and a Rusk Mountain or public-rights access plan. Fish pocket seams, shaded riffles, and softer banks instead of trying to run too many pull-offs.
If Schoharie Creek is high, dirty, warm, crowded, or access-limited, compare Esopus Creek for another mountain creek, the Neversink for tailwater and gorge choices, or Willowemoc Creek for classic Catskill trout water.
What to try
Schoharie Creek flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
April to early May
What to look forMidges, early black stones, Hendricksons, BWOs, and caddis
Mid-May to June
What to look forMarch Browns, Gray Fox, sulphurs, cahills, caddis, and Green Drakes
July to AugustCurrent
What to look forTricos, olives, isonychia, ants, beetles, hoppers, and summer caddis
September to November
What to look forBWOs, isonychia, October caddis, midges, and streamer windows
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Schoharie Creek access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. NYSDEC inland trout stream rules and reach categories apply. Confirm the exact Schoharie reach and any smaller stream-specific rules before fishing.
Lexington gauge area
Primary flow reference and upper creek planning area.
PFR easements
Use DEC maps and signs to stay on legal public access.
Hunter and smaller stream context
Useful when main-stem flows or temperatures are poor.
PFR gives fishing access along marked easements, not general recreation rights.
Do not assume every road pullout touches public water.
Storms in the Catskills can make wading unsafe even if the day starts clear.
River sources
Official Schoharie Creek sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This Schoharie Creek report is maintained from RiverReports and USGS Lexington flow data, New York inland trout regulations, Rusk Mountain Wild Forest information, public fishing rights and trout-stream map guidance, Catskill Streams management context, weather, media-credit, and mountain-creek planning sources.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 8 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page for more river information and check when it was last updated.
Quick answers
Quick Schoharie Creek answers.
What should I check before fishing Schoharie Creek?
Check Lexington flow, recent rain, water temperature, DEC inland trout rules, and PFR access.
Are there special fishing rules on Schoharie Creek?
Yes. Inland trout stream categories and PFR boundaries vary by reach.
Can I wade Schoharie Creek?
Often at moderate flows, but mountain rain can make the creek unsafe quickly.
What flies should I bring for Schoharie Creek?
Bring the seasonal hatch box, a nymph box, a few streamers, and a backup plan for clear, high, warm, or crowded water.