CT Freshwater Report as of 11/16/2025
Pictured here is Troy with a pretty fish. Good flows coming out of the damn. The West Branch Farmington in Riverton is 251 cfs with the Still at 64 cfs, combining for 315 cfs, a very good flow. Trout are in full effect spawning currently. Please be mindful of redds as more fish begin to spawn. Temps this week are going to be in the mid 40’s with lows dipping below 30. Very windy week again. Keep in mind that the Farmington River from the dam to the Rt 177 bridge is now catch and release until April.
BWO (#20-24) have been active on cloudier/overcast days. Active caddis are around a #16-20. Sporadically there are some caddis #14 that the trout love to eat. 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. Most of my luck recently has been on #16-18 caddis pupas. Smaller eggs have also produced for me but the most action has been nymphing. Some midges have been hatching as well but not much action on the drys.
Look to the medium fast water right now as well as the deeper slots. When bugs are slow don’t forget about streamers. Bigger streamers have moved some fish right now and they seem to like yellow and olive but play around with brown, black, white, etc. Trout are very active now with them spawning so you may have to cover a lot of water. As trout continue to spawn, eggs will become more and more effective. Downstream from spawning areas, trout will pick off eggs that come loose and float downstream. With fish looking for big meals don’t forget larger buggy flies like mops, squirmies, and flashy stuff.
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 smaller mayflies as well as assorted caddis (#14-18). 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. Staying low and approaching the fish from downstream will help you find success when fishing the smaller streams. When fishing small streams it is very important that you leave spawning fish alone.
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 ones but don’t neglect smaller crayfish/baitfish imitations. Bass are into their fall habits and are 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.
Lots of rivers across CT have been stocked, fishing is going to pick up so it’s a good time to get out! A big note on stocking is DEEP recently stocked a TON of salmon into rivers and ponds across CT, including the Naugatuck and Shetucket. Come stock up with us in the shop to catch these fun fish! They have also stocked trout in these spots as well as others across CT.
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. Stop by the shop and pick some streamers up for these aggressive browns. As always, tight lines!
Location:139 Center St, Bristol CT, 06010
Number: (203) 343-0775
Hours:
Monday Closed
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 8AM – 5PM
Thursday 8AM – 5PM
Friday – Saturday 8AM – 5PM
Sunday 8AM – 3PM
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