CT Freshwater Report as of 9/19/2025

CT Freshwater Report as of 9/19/2025

Pictured above is Ethan Robinson with a beautiful brown. Another week of solid fishing! We are definitely on need of some showers to help recharge the river. The West Branch Farmington in Riverton is 111 cfs with a negligible influence from the Still 17 cfs. I would assume that if we get some rain they will start letting more water out of the dam. No rain in the forecast but with highs in the low 70’s and lows in the 40’s, the water should stay cool. Keep in mind that the Farmington River from the dam to the Rt 177 bridge is now catch and release until April.

Stoneflies #8-12 are the most active in the early part of the day and will work great if nymphed. This week I saw a ton of them in the water and on rocks. Isos typically hatch sporadically through the day in faster water #10-14. 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 #18-120.  There has been a good amount of them mid morning hatching. There are some Light Cahills #14 hatching too. 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. Look to see more flying ants #18-22. These have definitely been the best dry fly action as of late.  Make sure you stock up on ants and have them with you. When they’re on the water trout love them.

Early morning tricos are still falling but are moved upstream for the most part. 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. Because of the low flows make sure to downsize your flies. Keep things small and drab as to not spook fish with crazy flashy flies. 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 oxygen dissolved. The fast water is loaded with trout right now. When bugs are slow don’t forget about streamers, especially as browns begin to transition to their fall habits. Bigger streamers have moved some fish right now and they seem to like yellow and olive but play around with brown, black, white, etc. Evening dries have been slow overall but with the potential for flying ants throughout the day, dry fly fishing is still viable. Something else to give a shot in the evenings is throwing a mouse fly when you give up on trying to see a dry fly in the dark. Every now and again you will catch a nice brown on a mouse walking back to the car. As the big browns get aggressive with the fall weather it’s worth a shot.

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). Terrestrials should be a go to right now. Dry dropper is a great technique right now to hook some wilds. Fall is a great time to fish for colored up brookies and as the water keeps cooling, and hopefully gets a recharge with some rain, the fishing should be good.

If you want to get away from the Farmington don’t be afraid to explore, smallmouth and bass in general are super fun on the fly. There are a ton of rivers that are fun to fish. Small mouth love streamers and will surprisingly eat pretty big streamers but don’t neglect smaller crayfish/baitfish imitations. Bass are moving into their fall habits soon and will be gorging baitfish getting ready for winter. Look at the deeper water off structure as they begin to move. 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 dungeons. Faster presentations overall have worked the best for me right now with bass.

If you want to try for some smallies, look to fish rivers that open into the Connecticut river like the Farmington River in Windsor and 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 it’s raining.

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. If you don’t have any ants stop by the shop and pick some up. As always, tight lines!

 

Location:139 Center St, Bristol CT, 06010

Number: (203) 343-0775

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Monday                                  Closed

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