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Northeast Fishing Report 11/28/2025
Hello Compleat Angler friends! This week our Connecticut freestones have seen an increase in flows but are still below average, a slight improvement from last week. Anglers are still finding trout from Fall stockings. Now that water temperatures have dropped lower, winter techniques will start becoming more effective. This means methodically searching the deeper pools, using a low and slow approach drifting nymphs. Egg flies will also be working now that Brown Trout are completing their spawning. On the Farmington and Housatonic Rivers, which all have fishable flows for this weekend, will also be seeing some small Blue Winged Olives emerging towards the late afternoon. On the Salmon River in New York, Steelhead fishing is alive and well with fish being spread throughout the entire river. Flows have dropped, and now most sections will have easier wading, but the river is still high. As a result, search a variety of water types, as there will be Steelhead both holding and traveling, and you may find some nice Brown Trout as a bonus. On the saltwater, the Long Island Sound is winding down, with schoolies still blitzing on occasion. Areas to focus on include the mouths of river, coves, and harbors. Late morning can result in finding some Stripers hitting Peanut Bunker on the surface. Holdover Stripers are now staging and moving upriver into their respective winter spots. Rhode Island is experiencing similar circumstances, meanwhile the South Shore of Long Island and New Jersey still has good numbers of migratory fish.
Read on for more…
Connecticut
Local Rivers
Flows had a small spike from this past week’s rain on Connecticut freestones, and they are currently dropping. For instance, the Saugatuck River is reading 23.9 CFS. Lower than average but slight improvement over last week. The good news is that most options have been stocked for this Fall. Many have some trout as a result, and they are now acclimated and eating smaller and more natural nymphs. You can expect hatches of Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, and some Midges. Most of the fishing will be best subsurface, however, with hatch activity being diminished due to colder temperatures. It will be worth bringing streamers as stocked trout can be aggressive. A dry/dropper rig is also an effective searching technique when fishing low water events. A few of the stocked trout will still be taking a variety of gaudy and larger flashier nymphs until the key into the natural forage. It will also be worth switching over to some smaller flies now that fish have been acclimated to their rivers.
Dry Fly Hatches:
Nymphs:
General Mayfly Attractor 14-18
Streamers:
Krystal Bugger (Black, Chartreuse, Brown, Olive, White, Burnt Orange) 6-12
Naugatuck River
Flows on the Naugatuck River have also seen an increase and are now dropping to 217 CFS at the Beacon Falls Gauge. The good news is that the state has stocked Atlantic Salmon and trout in both the lower and upper sections, and during current conditions the deeper pools will be holding more fish. A variety of streamers will work, from Woolly Buggers to more traditional Atlantic Salmon Flies. Try swinging your fly through the pools, and sometimes varying your presentation, such as stripping you fly, will entice a grab. Atlantic Salmon will be tougher to find now, as high water events will cause them to travel downriver. You may also find some trout, and similar bug activity to our local rivers and streams report. Nymphing will be effective when there is no hatch activity. The Shetucket River was also stocked with Atlantic Salmon and Trout this Fall.
Farmington River
Flows on the West Branch of the Farmington River have improved a bit and are now slightly below average. At Riverton, the West Branch Gauge is reading 260 CFS, while the Still River is dropping and currently 86.9 CFS. All sections of the Farmington are ideal for fishing and wading this weekend. Water temperatures on the West Branch have dropped into the low to mid 40s. Hatches haven’t been exceptional; however, you may find some Tan/Olive Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, and Midges. The insects will be small this time of year, so you will want to bring small dries and an assortment of small nymphs, especially during average and below-average flows. Nymphing will be best throughout the afternoon, when hatch activity tends to slow down. Look for improved hatches in the late afternoon and into the evening. Some trout have started to hunker down in the deeper pools now as water temperatures continue to drop, so it is worth fishing the deeper pools methodically with nymphs. During the morning hours streamer fishing can also be an effective technique, especially for the more recently stocked trout that are most aggressive, and pre-spawn Brown Trout. For dry fly fishing with smaller flies, we recommend a 9-12’ leader in 6x. As a reminder, some Brown Trout are actively spawning, so you will want to avoid fishing to paired up spawners and avoid stepping on Redds. As a result, egg flies are also working well this time of year.
Dry Fly Hatches:
Nymphs:
General Mayfly Attractor 14-18
Streamers:
Krystal Bugger (Black, Brown, Olive, White, Burnt Orange) 6-12
Larger Articulated Streamers on a sinking/sink tip line
Housatonic River
Flows on the Housatonic River have also seen an improvement from rain and are slower to start dropping, with the Falls Village Gauge reading 834 CFS. Clarity and wading will be ideal for all sections this weekend, and trout fishing will be decent as the Housatonic was stocked for the fall. Trout have been recently stocked on two occasions, and these fish will be forgiving in terms of fly selection. This means Mop Flies, Squirmy Worms, egg flies, and a variety of streamers will be effective. Anglers are also still finding some Smallmouth Bass. More educated and larger holdover trout that have been in the system longer are keying in on small Blue Winged Olives in the late afternoon and evenings. For Smallmouth, we recommend streamers such as Wolly Buggers, Crayfish Patterns, and popper flies.
Dry Fly Hatches:
Blue Winged Olives (overcast days) 18-24
Blue Winged Olive Emerger 18-20
Nymphs:
General Mayfly Attractor 14-18
Streamers:
Krystal Bugger (Black, Brown, Olive, White, Burnt Orange) 6-12
Larger Articulated Streamers on a sinking/sink tip line
Saltwater
The Fall run has been gradually slowing down as water temperatures get colder, and most of the migratory Stripers have made it further South past the Long Island Sound. There are still some schoolies that are staged around the mouths of rivers, coves, and island structures. The Housatonic River is seeing fish pushing upriver in anticipation to hold over for the winter, and there are also some Stripers blitzing during the morning in the Norwalk River and around the Westport beaches. Peanut Bunker are still fueling these blitzes; however, things have been tapering off. You may also still find some fish further East at the mouth of the Connecticut River and along the beachfronts around the area.
Hot Flies for Summer/Fall:
Custom Tied Baby Bunker (Super Realistic!)
Bob’s Banger (Stripers and Bluefish)
Surf Candies for Bonito and Albies
Good Fly Lines for Fall:
Rio Outbound Short (Good for big flies and big winds)
Rio Striper (Good all-rounder)
Leaders:
9' 16lb Fluorocarbon Leader for Bonito and Albies
Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.
New York
Salmon River
Flows on the Salmon River have seen a sharp cut, and are now slightly above average, 1080 CFS at the Pineville Gauge. This is good news as flows were previously over 2000 CFS, so wading will be ideal for this weekend. The salmon run has reached its end, which has given way to Steelhead and a few Brown Trout now spread throughout the entire river. We can expect an increase in Steelhead numbers entering the river after the high-water event. There will be a mix of fish holding and traveling, so they will be in a variety of water types. For Steelhead, we recommend using a 9’ 3x tapered leader with split shot rigged above a micro swivel to avoid having your split shot slide down to your fly. For flies, more aggressive fish in the lower sections will grab bright colored intruders from Pink to Blue and Chartreuse swung on single and two-hand rods. Egg sucking leeches, Woolly Buggers, Glo Bugs, Squirmy Worms, Stoneflies, and Estaz Eggs in a variety of colors will work well. Steelhead and some nice Brown Trout have moved into the smaller tributaries as well.
Catskills
Flows on the Mainstem of the Delaware River have seen an increase but are now dropping and below average, with the Lordville Gauge reading 1300 CFS. Water temperatures on the Mainstem are now in the high 30s, and flows will be clear and still fishable by drift boat while high for wading this weekend. The East Branch flows are below average, 708 CFS at Fishes Eddy, and the West Branch is also below average reading 343 CFS at Hale Eddy. Hatches have been slowing with a drop in water temperature, but you will find some small Blue Winged Olives emerging, as well as Midges. On brighter sunny days you can expect the hatches to be best during the late afternoon. Often, fish will be keyed in on very small Blue Winged Olives (Pseudos in size 20-28) during the afternoon. Nymphing will be the most effective method when there are no hatches, and streamer fishing will be improved with higher flows. Brown Trout have started spawning so you will want to avoid fishing them and stepping on their Redds. As a result, egg flies will be working, and you will find some post-spawn fish aggressive on streamers.
Dry Fly Hatches:
Blue Winged Olive Emerger 18-20
Nymphs:
General Mayfly Attractor 14-18
Streamers:
Krystal Bugger (Black, Brown, Olive, White, Burnt Orange) 6-12
Larger Articulated Streamers on a sinking/sink tip line
New York Saltwater
The South Shore of Long Island into New Jersey has been seeing the best Striper action as of recent, with Peanut Bunker, Sand Eels, and Adult Bunker being the primary bait. Jamaica Bay is seeing larger Stripers mixed in with schoolies, and the Western sound near the bridges is seeing some recent action. The best Striper action will continue down into South Jersey, as waves of fish continue to migrate down the coast. There are a few Stripers being caught on the East End towards Montauk although numbers haven’t been phenomenal. There is still good Striper fishing in the bays.
Rhode Island Saltwater
Things have slowed down for migratory Stripers along the Rhode Island coastline which means that most have continued further South. There are still some holdover Stripers that are staged in bays and around rivers. You may still find some small blitzes of Stripers on Peanut Bunker and Sand Eels, concentrated in wintering over areas for the resident Stripers.