Your Cart is Empty
Northeast Fishing Report 2/6/26
Hello Compleat Angler friends! We hope you enjoyed a slight respite from the bone chilling conditions this week. Enjoy it while it lasts, because we are diving right back into the cold this weekend. While reports from our regulars have been slow, we do know that most Connecticut freestones have briefly thawed in sunny areas and near faster moving water. Thawed enough to wet a line? That’s for you to discover and to let us know! We are always hungry for customer photos of your time on the river, skunk or no skunk, so DM any fishing related content to our Instagram, @compleat_angler_ct.
Read on for more…
Connecticut
Local Rivers
Flows remain low, clear, and cold on our local Connecticut freestones. The thaw has opened some holes across rivers like the Saugatuck, which is currently flowing a bit lower than last week at 17.3 CFS. If you go search out some of those open holes, we recommend using Nymphs or heavier streamers to target deeper water where trout might be hiding. Consider white, purple, olive, black, and brown. Basically any color that will help stand out. Jigging streamers is effective when trying to tempt larger, lethargic trout to bite. I am in the camp that believes larger fish will make a calculated risk for a calorically richer meal than smaller fare, but that’s just me. 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
Due to ice build up on the Naugutuck, CFS data isn’t available this week, but the river is currently reading at 1.59 ft at Beacon falls. Per usual, the deeper pools will hold more fish, but it might be wise to stay off the river until those ice floes clear up. Atlantic Salmon are still in the river. 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
As expected, MDC cut the flow back on Monday, a 40 CFS plus reduction, going from 147 CFS at the USGS gauge down to 104 CFS- I would call that a low flow. This puts the total flow below the Still River around 180 CFS (medium-low flow), give or take (Still River USGS gauge is frozen, I'm guessing the flow there around 75 CFS). The river is currently fishable/unfrozen from the dam in Riverton down through Whittemore. Sun and milder temps this week may extend farther downstream, you will have to play it by ear. The major parking lots are mostly plowed (Whittemore is not though), but most of the pull-offs are still piled with snow. I’d recommend focusing on late morning through mid afternoon when water temps bump up a degree or two. 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, but bites have been extremely subtle. With temperatures being cold in the early morning, look to start fishing when water temperature warms. 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. Trout are mostly hunkered down in the deeper pools now as water temperatures are cold, so it is worth fishing the deeper pools methodically with nymphs.
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 decreased again, with the Falls Village Gauge reading 585 CFS. Ice and slushy banks are possible, so we suggest using a wading staff, wader belt, and wear studs if walking slick access trails. 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 gauge at Pineville is currently at 630 CFS, which is average. No anglers have been reported on the river this week. 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.