CT Freshwater Report as of 5/22/2025

CT Freshwater Report as of 5/22/2025

**Our new customer Bryce  ( @Blueline_addict ) with a beauty of a brown caught on an off the beaten path stream, Wednesday***

All rivers right now are at good flows and it is very fishable. Rain is in the forecast though so the rivers will rise a bit by the end of the week.  Weather temps are going to be a bit chilly, around mid 40’s to mid 50’s for the highs. West Branch Farmington river out of the dam is 290 cfs which is a bump up from 180. Expect the Still River to rise fast today. While flows right now are very good we look to be getting 2’’ of rain by Saturday so flows will bump a little. Wind will be kicking up the rest of the week as we are looking at gusts around 25 mph with gusts on Thursday up to 37 mph.

Even with the cooler temps fishing has been good, especially with larger mayflies and pupas. Larger stoneflies have also been on the menu. With the rain coming don’t forget about the bigger/junk flies in you box. Rain kicks worms into the water so using a squirmy worm or something of the sort isn’t a bad idea. Pheasant tails size 12-16 will do a good job of imitating a lot of the bugs in the drift right now. You also definitely don’t want to be out right now without a pupa. Something like a sexy waltz or small mop will work great. We have a good selection in the shop if you need to pick some up. A size 10-12 Pat’s is another great option for right about now.

Hendrickson’s are about done on the Farmington but you may find some sporadic ones upstream. They will still be around for a little longer as spinners though. This wind will probably keep them for dropping but if you get a break in the wind look around for spinners on the water. March Browns are starting to hatch as well and are very active in the drift. Caddis are also hatching, they usually happen around mid morning.

Bugs off the Farmington are looking pretty similar. Lots of caddis with some larger mayflies mixed in. On smaller freestone rivers there aren’t as many bugs as there are on the Farmington so fish feed more opportunistically. Don’t be afraid to go a little bigger in fly choice on the smaller rivers.

If you want to get away from the Farmington don’t be afraid to explore. There are a ton of rivers that are fun to fish. Some recently stocked rivers are Leadmine Brook in Thomaston, Sandy Brook in Colebrook, and West Branch Naugatuck in Torrington. Exploring new rivers can be fun and a change of scenery away from the crowds is refreshing.

Some other TMA’s to check out are the Pequabuck TMA (133 cfs and right by the shop), Housatonic River (Upper TMA) (1370 cfs at falls village), and the Naugatuck TMA (184 cfs at Thomaston). When fishing a TMA make sure you have purchased a trout and salmon stamp in addition to your fishing license.

If you go out and have any questions feel free to stop by the shop, we are more than happy to help you with whatever you need. We have a good selection of pupas right now that could help you right now with the caddis hatch. Tight Lines!

 

Location:139 Center St, Bristol CT, 06010

Number: (203) 343-0775

Hours:

Monday – Tuesday           8AM – 5PM

Wednesday                         8AM – 8PM

Thursday                               8AM – 5PM

Friday – Saturday              7AM – 6PM

Sunday                                  7AM – 5PM