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Should I go fishing?
Go with caution.
Best option: Wading. Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
Check first: Water temperature is unconfirmed. Use a stream thermometer before fishing.
Fishing rating68
Rating updatedRiver local time:
Why this recommendation?
USGS shows -999,999 cfs. Recent readings do not show a clear trend. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1999-2025, 27 readings) show a median near 52 cfs and a low-water marker near 10 cfs; today's flow is unusually low for the date. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
Available live dataHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Confidence in this recommendationMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.
Usually checks again about every 45 minutes
If you go
- 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.
Flow and weather
Showing server-checked river conditions while current readings refresh.
- Flow
- -999,999 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air forecast
- 49°F
- Next 24h high
- 75.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 0%
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
Clear
- Wind
- 0 mph
- Weather checked
More forecast and source details
Clear
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
Flies for this time of year
Seasonal starting points, not a live hatch report. Match what you see on the water.
- Blue-Winged Olive PatternsBWO emergerView fly guide ↗
- Zebra MidgeView fly guide ↗
- Sculpin Patternssculpin streamerView fly guide ↗
See flies for every season
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
Flies to try
March BrownMarch Brown Dry Flies→sulphur emergerSulphur Mayfly Patterns→light cahillLight Cahill Patterns→
Also try Gray Fox, coffin fly spinner
July to August
What to look forTricos, olives, isonychia, ants, beetles, hoppers, and summer caddis
Flies to try
BWOBlue-Winged Olive Patterns→foam antAnt Patterns→beetleBeetle Patterns→small hopperGrasshopper Patterns→
Also try Trico spinner, isonychia
September to NovemberThis season
What to look forBWOs, isonychia, October caddis, midges, and streamer windows
Flies to try
Also try isonychia dry, October caddis
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
More fishing tips
Methods, fish species and trip notes
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.
Wading, bank fishing or floating?
Best access methodWading
These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.
Wading · Best fit68/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
Bank fishingNot recommended
This report does not recommend bank fishing on this reach.
FloatingNot recommended
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Full river report
Is Schoharie Creek worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for New York before you go.
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.
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
FlowUse caution
USGS shows -999,999 cfs. Recent readings do not show a clear trend. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1999-2025, 27 readings) show a median near 52 cfs and a low-water marker near 10 cfs; today's flow is unusually low for the date. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
Best mode nowUse caution
Wade: Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
SeasonHelps
Fall: BWOs, October caddis, and small streamers return as water cools.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 49F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 75F. Clear.
Public alertsHelps
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
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.
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.
Before you go
NYSDEC inland trout stream rules and reach categories apply. Confirm the exact Schoharie reach and any smaller stream-specific rules before fishing.
Where to access the river
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.
Sources and report details
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
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.
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.
Quick questions
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.