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Northeast Fishing Report 3/20/26
Hello Compleat Angler friends! Word is coming in from our regulars that spring fishing is off to a decent start. Trout are being regularly stocked in all of the local rivers, from the Mianus in Greenwich, to the Saugatuck Fly section in Westport, and smaller brooks and streams scattered north of the I-95 corridor.
The weather outlook for this weekend is promising, with much of the rain and wind from the past week in the rearview mirror. If you are going to choose one day to hit the water, then Saturday is your best bet. Temperatures will hopefully crawl up into mid-50’s or even low 60’s, and there will be abundant sunshine. With the lack of cloud cover, early mornings and late afternoons into dusk will produce the best chance at a fish, especially if hatches start to pop off. This time of year with higher, stained water, we suggest using colorful streamers, but you can never go wrong with a nymph rig while the water temps are still hovering at or below 40 degrees.
Read on for more…
Connecticut
Local Rivers
Flows are up on our local Connecticut freestones, although down from where they were with last week’s rain. The Saugatuck River is at 210 CFS, and was recently stocked in the fly fishing only section. A regular who recently ventured all the way to the Farmington in search of trout was disappointed when he went all day without a bite, only to stop on his way home at the Saugatuck and put the hurt on ‘em as afternoon faded into dusk. Sometimes you don’t need to go far afield to find what you want! With higher, turbid water, we recommend using Nymphs or heavier streamers to target pools, seams, or current breaks where trout might be hiding. Consider white, purple, olive, black, and brown. Basically any color that will help stand out. Freshly stocked trout will be skittish as they settle into the river, so giving them a day or two to acclimate might be worth your while. Remember, these fish have been pellet fed for most of their lives, so they won’t be as keyed into the local forage. Opting for flashy or bright colors is the way to go. 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. 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 at a comfortable 1800 CFS. Although it has yet to be stocked, any hold over trout in the river will be on the move and ready to eat thanks to the water and warmer temperatures. Stained, fast moving water will push trout towards structure, so target anything that interrupts current or large boulders along the bottom. Think heavy streamers, nymph rigs, or for the brave, big articulated flies. Atlantic Salmon can prove difficult to find but 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. 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
Total flow peaked near 2,000 CFS Tuesday, though the river has dropped and is down to 800 CFS and is still dropping at a good clip. A little below the dam it’s reading 220 CFS (medium flow and a nice level) in Riverton and shouldn’t change much from that (they increased the dam release on Monday), and the Still River is adding in above 500 (high) and dropping below that. This puts the total flow at 808cfs (high but fishable) and dropping, I’m guessing we will be in the 500’s for total flow by Saturday morning, and a little lower than that for Sunday. Normal/median total flow would be 413cfs for today’s date. Unionville USGS is 1,830cfs & dropping fast- look for flows under 1,000cfs to fish that section of the river. The normal/median flow for Unionville would be 801cfs for today.
The inflow to Colebrook Reservoir in MA has dramatically increased (705 CFS currently). The reservoir height/elevation has come up 30+ feet in the past 3 weeks, and it is still increasing. The state began their Spring trout stocking in rivers last week, and last week they stocked upstream of the Permanent TMA/Catch & release in Riverton (from the dam downstream about 4 miles through Whittemore, stopping just above the Campground). It’s likely they will stock downstream of the Permanent TMA/C&R later this week or next week, that section would be from just below Rt. 219 in New Hartford from the Wall/Calahan Park downstream to Canton by the junction with the Nepaug River/Town Bridge Rd.) The 6.2 mile Permanent TMA/C&R normally gets stocked once a year in April. Fishing is still a grind overall, you have to work for your fish, even in the upper river where it was recently stocked. The trout in Riverton seem to be bunched up in very small areas, and you have to move around until you find them.
Early Black Stoneflies #14-16 are a legit hatch now, March is the big month for that bug, and they normally spill over into April and can even overlap the Hendrickson hatch some years. We continue to see the smaller #18-24 Capnia (Tiny Black Winter Stonefly) on mild/sunny afternoons, but that is light and very near the end. Soon we will see #16-18 Baetis/Blue Winged Olives (BWO’s) in the afternoons, just need water temps to rise a bit. Fishing has mostly been a grind, but other than Riverton (which was recently stocked), the trout are quality holdovers & wilds, with a large average size (mid to upper teens, with some in the 20” and bigger range). Be patient, as hours of slow fishing can suddenly turn on when a bite window opens up. It’s quality over quantity, and all it takes is one big trout to make your day. Pick likely looking water and fish it thoroughly, slow & deep with nymphs and streamers. Trout won’t move far to eat in cold water, so make lots of casts in the higher percentage spots, and set the hook on ANYTHING suspicious. Strikes are usually very subtle 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 come down from last week, with the Falls Village Gauge reading 3,870 CFS. Stoneflies are still hatching like crazy, and with higher flows, trout will be close to the bank. Be wary, as the current is no joke after prolonged melting and recent rain events. The water will be stained, so aim for junk flies such as Mop Flies, Squirmy Worms, egg flies, and a variety of streamers. 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 reading for the gauge at Pineville is still high at 2,120 CFS. There were no anglers fishing the run over the last few days. This was due to high and dirty water conditions caused by the snowmelt and run-off, along with very strong winds. No fish were reported hooked or landed today. 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.