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Northeast Fishing Report 12/12/2025
Hello Compleat Angler friends! As the weather gets colder, we’ve slimmed down our fishing report to relevant areas with winter fishing potential. Winter will have its own unique challenges when trout fishing in Connecticut. Fish will be more lethargic and tend to favor the deeper slower pools and runs. They may become more active during the afternoon, and when water temperatures are warmest some will forage in the faster part of the run. Water temperatures will also be coldest during the early morning, so we recommend waiting until the late morning into the afternoon when trout will become more active. You may find small Blue Winged Olives and some Midges hatching; however, they may be diminished. Fishing slowly and methodically in likely holding areas will be the key to success, and there can be a bite window on some days in which trout activity is at its highest. Overall, flows are below average on our local freestones, as well as the Housatonic and Farmington Rivers. Small nymphs and jig streamers will be working best this time of year. On the Salmon River in New York, flows were cut which means Steelhead are now in their holding lies spread throughout the river. Focusing on the deeper pools is a good start. Anglers are finding a few fish each day, as well as some nice Brown Trout.
Read on for more…
Connecticut
Local Rivers
Flows are now low, clear, and cold on our local Connecticut freestones. For instance, the Saugatuck River is reading 24.9 CFS. 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 as they enter their winter behavior. 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 you may still find an aggressive fish or two. Jigged nymphs or a slow enticing retrieve is recommended. A dry/dropper rig is also an effective searching technique when fishing low water events. Now that water temperatures are colder, trout metabolism will slow down. You will want to focus on the deeper pools, fishing low and slow, as trout will become less willing to expend energy. Having a double nymph rig will give trout options in size and pattern, as well as improve your sink rate when using nymphs with bead heads.
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 seen a slight increase and are now 233 CFS at the Beacon Falls Gauge. The good news is that the state has stocked trout in both the lower and upper sections, and during current conditions the deeper pools will be holding more fish. In addition, more Atlantic Salmon were recently stocked. 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 seen a slight drop this past week. At Riverton, the West Branch Gauge is reading 238 CFS, while the Still River is adding 72.3 CFS. All sections of the Farmington are ideal for fishing and wading this weekend. Water temperatures on the West Branch are fluctuating in the high 30s to low 40s. Hatches haven’t been exceptional; however, you may find some small 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 for most of the day, and with temperatures being cold in the early morning look to start fishing when water temperature warms a bit. During winter fishing there will be a narrow bite window throughout the day, usually when water temperatures are at their warmest, so look for an increase in trout activity during the afternoon. 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, both stripped slow and jigged, 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, while the majority of Brown Trout have finished spawning, you still will want to avoid fishing to paired up late 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 are down a bit compared to last week but are holding steady, with the Falls Village Gauge reading 542 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 stocked on two occasions this Fall and are now acclimated and keyed in on the natural forage. Small imitative nymphs have been working best. It will also be worth bringing some egg patterns, as there are eggs in the system since Brown Trout have spawned. Since water temperatures have cooled, trout will be more lethargic and holding in the deeper and slower sections. Jig streamers and weighted streamers retrieved slow on a floating line will also be working, as Brown Trout will want to take advantage of a larger meal to regain weight lost from their spawning. We recommend starting your fishing during the late morning, as water temperatures will start to warm with the sun which will cause fish to become more active.
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
Salmon River
Flows dropped significantly on the Salmon River this past week and are below average, reading 488 CFS at the Pineville Gauge. Both clarity and 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. Steelhead will be in their holding lies during current flows, preferring the deeper pools. As such, you will want to fish these likely areas slowly and methodically. Most anglers are finding a few Steelhead each day. 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 different colored intruders such as Pink, Blue, Black, Purple, 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.