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Northeast Fishing Report 6/19/26
Hello Compleat Angler Friends! We hope you have been enjoying the warm weather, although some rain would be nice. Striped bass have flooded the Sound and are chewing on everything from squid to bunker to sand eels. Recent reports have been a bit slow, possibly due to the storms we've had overnight, but anglers are still finding them deep and shallow. Small sand eel patterns have been working well on the flats, while hollow and bunker patterns are dominating the deeper structure.
Freshwater has understandably slowed in our local freestones, as water levels are dangerously low, but the Housy, Farmington, and Delaware systems still have willing fish that have been keyed in on Sulphurs.
Read on for more…
Connecticut
Local Rivers
Flows are still way down across the state in our local freestones, even with the nightly thunderstorms. The Saugatuck at 9 CFS. The predominant hatches have transitioned to sulphurs, cahills, and Caddis. Stocked and wild trout will be skittish with the heat and low water, but try to find pools of deeper, shaded water and work the dry fly or a small streamer if you don’t see anything rising. The Mianus, Norwalk, and Mill rivers are in similar condition, and with trout stocking finished, resident fish will have become more acclimated to their surroundings, which should prove both challenging and fun.
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 also very very low at 100 CFS. Conditions might prove difficult, but as a bycatch reward, you should be able to find some nice smallmouth if trout aren't cooperating. Again, caddis, sulphurs, and cahills are the predominant hatches, so plan your fly boxes accordingly. Deep water pools, shaded riffles, and other usual hot spots for trout should be targeted with the rising temperatures. We should hopefully get a break from the heat by next week, so get out and do some exploring.
Farmington River
Water level is low for only being mid-June, more like what you might see at the end of the summer or the early fall when we haven’t had much rain. On the up side, this means easier wading, access to all the spots, and more fish rising when there is a good hatch (easier/more efficient for them to surface feed when the water is shallower & slower). But, this also means you should be stealthy, dress in drab colors, use a longer/lighter leader with a long tippet (3-6+ feet), and use smaller flies. If you are nymphing use lighter flies/smaller split shot and smaller Indicators. Try not to send ripples when you wade in slower pool water.
Evenings are peak time for dry flies, although anytime there are bugs hatching surface action is a possibility. Sulfurs are still the June “Glamour Hatch”. 7pm to dark is prime time to find rising trout in June. Depending upon how far below the dam you are, the main players in the evenings are Sulfurs #16-18 (Invaria & Dorothea), assorted Caddis #16-22, #14 Cahills, and frequently #20-22 Blue Winged Olives & rusty spinners. Rusty spinners imitate the majority of Mayflies, and you should have Sulfur spinners too.
Even when it gets hot, the water is coming out of the dam in the mid 40’s currently and keeps the river at trout-friendly temps for many miles below that. Getting a diversity of bugs now, depending on how far below the dam you are, it’s “Bug Soup” time. The major players on most of the river are still assorted Caddis #16-22, #16 Sulfurs (Invaria), #18 Sulfurs (Dorothea), and #14 Light Cahills. Caddis are #16-18 in both tan and olive/green, as well as black, gray #18-22. There are some #20-22 Blue Winged Olives (BWO’s/Olives) in the evenings. #8-12 Isonychia are starting up, they are in the lower river (Collinsville, Unionville), and at least as far above that as Canton & Satan’s Kingdom, possibly farther upstream than that, they and will steadily work their way upriver. July is typically the big month for Isonychia in the Permanent TMA/C&R, but bugs don’t pay attention to calendars.
As you get closer to the dam and the water gets icy cold, hatches can happen at weird times of the day, often earlier in the day than the books say. Warmer water downstream means the hatches start there first and make their way upriver. Be prepared to also fish subsurface- just because there are hatches is no guarantee of dry fly fishing & rising trout. But…. we are into the peak dry fly time of year, with evenings being prime time for surface action. Cloudy afternoons have seen #20-22 Blue Winged Olives (BWO’s) hatching, trout gently sipping them off the surface in the flat water. They don’t hatch well on bright sunny days. We are getting toward that time of year where the best shot at good dry fly action tends to shift more toward the evenings, with some exceptions. Cooler/cloudy days can see the bugs hatch earlier, and hot/sunny days can push the bugs even closer to dusk.
Caddis are the main hatch in the mornings; they return in the low light of evenings to mate & egg-lay over the riffles. Vitreus are a fast water bug, normally hatching between 4pm and dusk (hatch is near the end and only upriver near the dam now). Sulfurs are typically between 7pm and dark, but closer to the dam they often hatch in early/mid afternoon. Cahills are an evening bug. And Isonychia normally are on the water between late afternoon through dusk, but I’ve sometimes seen them hatch as early as late morning. Most mayfly spinnner falls in June occur in the last hour of daylight, typically mating in the air and falling over the riffles and pocket water, with many floating down into the pools.
Caddis are most active from about mid morning through early/mid afternoon, and come back later in the day to egg-lay over faster water in the eves. We are seeing at least 4-5 varieties of Caddis currently, in different sizes & colors. Hatch times in Riverton in the 2 miles right below the dam can vary considerably from “normal” due to the abnormally cold water.
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
The Housatonic River at Falls Village is reading 296 CFS. March Browns, Cahills and Sulfurs are still being taken by trout despite the low water and increased temps. Smallmouth fishing should blow open in the next few days, as everything has been delayed by a few weeks from the harsh winter. Sightcasting to big bronzebacks is an amazing way to switch up your approach during summer months, and helps give pressured trout a much deserved break. Craw flies, poppers, hoppers, and streamers will all be effective, and might even scare up a nice brown.
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
No report this week, low angler density and low water.
Catskills
The release from Cannonsville is 500 cfs. The wind was rough yesterday but did drop in the evening. We had a very brief heavy rain shower but the rivers came through just fine. The flows and temps are starting off roughly where they were yesterday morning. We’re in the time of year when blind casting Isonychias or Cahills in the riffles could payoff early. The evening hatches have been a mix of sulphurs, Cahills, Isonychias,olives, and some caddis.
Today will be 76 degrees and partly cloudy. Wind will be 10 – 20 mph from the North.
What’s Hatching:
Dark Blue Wing Olive – #16 – 18 – Baetis vagans
Sulphur – 16 – 18 – Ephemerella dorothea
Tan Caddis – #16 – 20 – Hydrosyche sp
Light Cahill – #14 – Epeorus vitreus, Ephemerella invaria, Stenacron spp.
Slate Drake – #12-2xl – 12 – Isonychia bicolor
Dark Blue Sedge – #14 – Psilotreta sp.
CT Saltwater
Striper fishing remains consistent, although some have reported a slowed bite close to shore. Hopefully the recent new moon will fire up the bite as more water moves around and the Sound continues to warm. Hollow flies, deceivers, Half n' Halfs, and sand eel patterns have been working. The weather for this weekend looks ok, warm but very windy, so be mindful if you head out on a boat.