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Northeast Fishing Report 2/20/26
Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Break out the sunblock, your sunglasses, and some swimtrunks because we haveofficially hit 40 degrees! Saturday is looking warm and bright, while Sunday might succumb to a snow shower or two, so take advantage of the nice weather while you have the chance. This uptick in temperature should kick off a few local hatches, so stocking up on dry flies, nymphs, and even a hopper or two wouldn’t be a bad idea. A few regulars swung by this week and mentioned that the bite is still slow, but not nearly as slow as it has been.DEEP’s Trout Stocking Program should start up relatively soon, so remember to keep an eye out for information on stockers as they hit local rivers and ponds.
As always, remember to send us any photos of you on the river, fish or no fish. We love to see our customers enjoying the outdoors!
Read on for more…
Connecticut
Local Rivers
Flows are up from the recent melt, which should at the very least give some much needed energy to any trout wintering over in the local rivers. Be cautious with the increased water levels, as any loose ice is liable to get swept up in the current. The Saugatuck is currently flowing at 24.9 CFS. We recommend using nymphs or heavier streamers to target deep water where trout might be hiding. Consider white, purple, olive, black, and brown. Basically any color that will help stand out. Jigging streamers near the bottom is an effective tactic when targeting larger, lethargic trout. A dry/dropper rig is also an effective searching technique when fishing low water events. 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
The Naugatuck is way up, currently flowing at 308 CFS. Again, be cautious, as the river was recently heavily ice affected. Atlantic Salmon and trout are still in the river, so 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 your fly, will entice a grab. 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
The upper five or so miles from the dam in Riverton down through Campground is all open and fishable. Below that things gradually start to lock up, especially in the slow pools. These milder temps should gradually open up more areas as the shelf ice melts. Most of the pull-offs are still full of snow, but major parking lots are almost all plowed. You may have to get creative on parking, but should be able to find a way to access most of the open water. Tiny Winter Black Stoneflies (Capnia) started hatching last, they average #18-20 but can go all the way down to a #24. A #18 BMAR Winter Stonefly or a black Zebra Midge in those sizes can imitate this bug, but often I find I do better on other nymphs that look nothing like a small black Stone, so pair that up with another nymph pattern. If nothing else, bugs in the drift get the trout out of hiding & feeding. They may move into the riffles in the afternoons when there are insects in the subsurface drift.I’d recommend focusing on late morning through mid afternoon when water temps bump up a degree or two.
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 up, with the Falls Village Gauge reading 536 CFS. There has been an increase in hatches, with reports of hundreds of robins along the ice shelves picking off small dark stoneflies, so pack your fly box accordingly. Ice and slushy banks are still possible, so we suggest using a wading staff, wader belt, and wear studs if walking slick access trails. There are increased midge hatches on the warmer days, typically starting midday and going until early evening. The river is reported to be generally clear to stained depending on releases. When clear, fish are sensitive, so aim for small tippets (4–6X for midges).Trout have been stocked on two occasions this Fall and are now acclimated and keyed in on the natural forage. Since water temperatures have cooled, they will be more lethargic and holding in the deeper and slower sections. Mop Flies, Squirmy Worms, egg flies, and a variety of streamers will be effective; however, you will want to bring smaller and more imitative nymphs as well. More educated and larger holdover trout that have been in the system longer are keying in these smaller insects.
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
New York
Salmon River
The current dam release is at 300 CFS, while the gauge at Pineville is ice affected. Some anglers reported having slow success on Steelhead, and a few brown trout were caught in the middle section of the river. With cold temperatures, swinging flies won’t be as successful as in the Fall, but you may find one fish aggressive enough to chase flies. There is still a chance of catching a few Brown Trout. With colder air temperatures, water temperatures will stay low for this weekend, so you will want to fish slowly and methodically. 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 throughout the whole river.