CT Freshwater Report as of 8/30/2025

CT Freshwater Report as of 8/30/2025

Pictured here is a nice bass caught by Richie Mendez.

First off happy Labor Day weekend! Second, we still have some good flows right now.  The West Branch Farmington in Riverton is 219 cfs with an additional 12 cfs from the Still River at Robertsville combining for 231 cfs. We will continue to have cooler nights into the 50’s so that will help with keeping the water temps cold. The weather we have right now is very Fall like and its super refreshing. Weather should be nice and cool next week again with highs up to 76 and lows getting into the low 50’s. Looks like a few scattered showers on Friday but nothing too bad. Wind wise we are looking at something similar to last week, gusty afternoons with calm mornings. But overall a great holiday weekend to get out fishing and catch some fish.

Still seeing the best action in the morning. Stoneflies #8-12 are the most active in the early part of the day and will work great if nymphed. Isos typically hatch sporadically through the day in faster water and big fish LOVE Isos so now is a good time to use them. When nymphing them play around with the drift, they like to swim so a swing at the end of your drift can trigger some bites. BWO (#18-20) have also been active on cloudier/overcast days. Active caddis are around a #16-18.  Pheasant tails and other slim flies size 18-24 are going to be imitating a lot of the bugs in the drift right now. Small bugs are definitely the ticket right now as they are most prevalent in the drift. Don’t neglect terrestrials, mostly ants and beetles but also throw in some bigger hoppers. Fish them under and downstream of large overhanging trees. Fish tucked up on the banks are looking for those bugs as they fall into the river, and with the wind this week there’s a good chance a lot more will be knocked in the water.

Isos on the Farmington are mostly upstream now and are about a size 12-14. We have some of BMARs iso nymphs that work great but a larger pheasant tail will also work well. There are some Light Cahills #14 hatching too. Tricos in the morning have been the best so far though making getting out in the morning worth it for some dry fly game. They fall at about a #20-24, so go small. They may fall earlier or later in the morning depending on the temps overnight. In general fishing has been better in the morning with the most amount of bugs being active. Focus on the faster water when nymphing as that’s where most of the fish will be this time of year because of the higher amounts of dissolved oxygen. Something else to give a shot in the evenings is throwing a mouse fly when you give up on trying to seeing a dry fly in the dark. Every now and again you will catch a nice brown on a mouse walking back to the car.

Bugs off the Farmington are about the same. 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. Bugs that could be active are Isos, Cahil’s, and other smaller mayflies as well as assorted caddis (#14-18). Also think terrestrials. We are in that time where trout will eat ants, beetles, caterpillars, ETC. as they fall in the river. And again, the mornings will be highlight with that being the time the most amount of bugs are active. With the cooler temps however, you may get some good small stream fishing up top with ants and beetles.

If you want to get away from the Farmington don’t be afraid to explore, smallmouth are very active right now in the rivers and are a lot of fun. There are a ton of rivers that are fun to fish. Smallmouth love streamers and will surprisingly eat pretty big ones but don’t neglect smaller crayfish/baitfish imitations. Mornings and evenings are usually the best, but you can catch them all day. Cycle through different presentations but a faster strip works great. I have had lots of luck with game changers. Some other good patterns are woolly buggers, zonkers, and dungeon’s. Bass on the fly is super fun and worth giving a shot with some warmer temps.

If you want to try for some smallies, look to fish rivers that open into the Connecticut river like the Mattabesset River in Middletown. The Housatonic River above the dam in Falls Village is another popular spot to try. Beyond these there are a plethora of lakes, ponds, and rivers that hold bass. They are usually found where the water is a bit warmer. If you aren’t convinced and want to trout fish, the Farmington River is a safe bet. A lot of the smaller rivers are starting to cool down but may be low with how little its raining.

As a heads up we will be closed on Labor Day (9/1). 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 trico spinners in the shop if you find yourself without any small flies. Tight Lines and have a safe Labor Day Weekend!

 

Location:139 Center St, Bristol CT, 06010

Number: (203) 343-0775

Hours:

Monday                                 8AM – 5PM 

Tuesday                                 8AM – 5PM

Wednesday                         8AM – 5PM

Thursday                               8AM – 5PM

Friday – Saturday              8AM – 6PM

Sunday                                  8AM – 3PM