The West Branch continues to fish well — give the smaller freestones room to cool off before you commit.
Upper Delaware River Fishing Report: Conditions
Conditions on the West Branch are solid — Stilesville is a confirmed 560 cfs and 47°F, Hale Eddy is running 663 cfs and 49°F, and both numbers reflect a stable, unchanged release rather than a spike or drop. Wading is comfortable throughout, and there’s still some algae on the upper stretch — dry flies are the better bet up there for now.
Downriver, the Main Stem is sitting right around its typical level for this date — Lordville’s 1,420 cfs lines up almost exactly with the historical median, so nothing unusual is happening there, just a normal late-August read with warmer water than the tailwater sections upstream. Hancock is running 628 cfs and 64°F, and last night’s cooler air and cloud cover took some of the edge off water temps on the Main Stem, East Branch, and Beaverkill heading into today. The Beaverkill itself is still thin at Cooks Falls — 392 cfs, 61°F — so it and the Willowemoc need a careful approach once the sun’s had time to warm them up.
For real-time flows, radar, and forecasts, check the Live Report — it’s the fastest way to know before you go.
What’s Hatching
- Sulphurs — #18–20
- Isonychia — #10–12
- Light Cahill — #14–16
- Flying Ants — #16–18
Sulphurs are winding down for the season — what’s left is spotty and smaller, concentrated on the upper West Branch through early afternoon. Isonychia and Cahills are around in decent numbers, and flying ants are showing up too — worth carrying, since they can save an otherwise slow stretch.
Today’s Watch Items
- Upper West Branch algae is still present — plan for dry flies up there rather than a nymph rig
- Carry a thermometer on the Beaverkill and Willowemoc — flows are thin and afternoon sun can still push temps into risky territory despite the cooler start
- West Branch flows have been genuinely flat today, not just an unreported gauge — worth confirming yourself before you head out
Best Techniques
Isonychia and Cahill patterns are worth prospecting today, especially once the midday Sulphur window closes — a good option for covering water when nothing’s actively rising. Morning nymphing ahead of any hatch remains solid on the West Branch, just keep it to the lower river given the upper stretch’s algae.
When Sulphurs do show, these late-season fish have seen plenty of traffic, so lean on emergers, cripples, and soft-hackle droppers over a straight dun. Early and late are still your highest-percentage windows as the hatch thins, so build your day around those edges rather than the midday lull.
Fly of the Week
Flying Ant
Terrestrial · Sizes 16–18
Simple profile, does the job.
With naturals showing up along the banks, this is a smart searching pattern for the slower stretches between hatches — especially with the Sulphur hatch thinning out for the season.
See live conditions on the Live Report →Upper Delaware River fishing report, covering the West Branch, East Branch, Main Stem, and Beaverkill & Willowemoc. Flows, hatches, technique, and today’s watch items — everything you’d want to know before you string up a rod, gathered from conditions across the watershed.