Your Cart is Empty
Northeast Fishing Report 10/17/2025
Hello Compleat Angler friends! Our freshwater fishing throughout Connecticut is still seeing below average flows, and some rivers and streams being stocked for Fall. Despite low flows, the Housatonic River is seeing some great trout fishing from stocking, and there is a mix of holdover and newly introduced fish. The stocked fish will be taking a variety of streamers and nymphs, and dry fly anglers are having success on Blue Winged Olives and Isonychia. The fishing remains steady on the Farmington River, and nymphing has been the most effective method. However, October Caddis have started to make a showing allowing for some decent dry fly opportunities. Streamer fishing will also improve in the coming weeks with temperatures being cooler as trout will start to look for higher calories before spawning and winter. Most of the hatches on the Delaware have consisted of small Blue Winged Olives, with late afternoons being best for dry fly opportunities. On the Salmon River in New York Steelhead are just starting to enter the lower river, while Kings and Cohos are being found in all sections of the river. Runs are trickling in slowly due to low water. Saltwater fishing has proven more difficult for Albies this past week, as the storm has the larger schools broken up. You may come across them blitzing on small Bay Anchovies in the Eastern portion of the sound and along the North and South Shore of Long Island. Bass fishing in New York and Rhode Island has held up and is improving as migratory fish push down the coast. The Western portion of the sound has been more hit-or-miss, with some days providing Striper blitzes on Peanut Bunker. There are still some good saltwater options as things settle post storm.
Read on for more…
Connecticut
Local Rivers
We had a very small increase in flows from this past week’s rain, but water levels are still low and have started dropping. For instance, the Saugatuck River is reading 21.3 CFS. As a result, most rivers and streams haven’t been stocked yet, and the consensus is that we need more rain. Until then, fishing will be tough, as most trout stocked during spring did not make it through the heat of the summer. There are a few options stocked so far. When things improve, you can expect hatches of Caddis, Blue Wingd Olives, Light Cahill, Isonychia, and some Midges. Streamer fishing is difficult during these below average flows, and most trout will be hunkered in the deepest pools, with the exception being well oxygenated faster water with some depth. A dry/dropper rig is also an effective searching technique.
Dry Fly Hatches:
Blue Winged Olives (Overcast Days) 18-24
Adams Parachute (Attractor) 16-20
Nymphs:
General Mayfly Attractor 14-18
Streamers:
Krystal Bugger (Black, Chartreuse, Brown, Olive, White, Burnt Orange) 6-12
Naugatuck River
Flows are also low on the Naugatuck River, despite the small increase with the recent rain, and have dropped to 109 CFS at Beacon Falls. The good news is that the state has stocked Atlantic Salmon in both the lower and upper sections, which will be hunkered in deeper pools during low flows. A variety of streamers will work, from Woolly Buggers to more traditional Atlantic Salmon Flies. Try swinging your fly through the pools, and sometimes varying your presentation, such as stripping you fly, will entice a grab. You may also find some trout, and similar bug activity to out local rivers and streams report. Nymphing will be effective when there is no hatch activity.
Farmington River
Flows on the West Branch of the Farmington River have been gradually dropping throughout the week and will be at below average levels for the weekend. At Riverton, the West Branch Gauge is reading 61.1 CFS, while the Still is adding 90 CFS and dropping. Water will be clear and easy for wading this weekend. Water temperatures on the West Branch are in the high 50s to low 60s, and temperatures will be ideal in all sections of the river. Hatches haven’t been exceptional; however, you may find some Tan/Olive Caddis, larger October Caddis, Blue Winged Olives (overcast rainy days), Light Cahill, Midges, and Isonychia during the evenings. The insects will be small this time of year, so you will want to bring small dries and an assortment of small nymphs, especially during average and below-average flows. Also, a consideration is terrestrials, such as ants and beetles. Nymphing will be best throughout the afternoon, when hatch activity tends to slow down. Trout are now spread into the well oxygenated faster water and all water types. During the morning hours streamer fishing can also be an effective technique, especially for the more recently stocked trout that are most aggressive. For dry fly fishing with smaller flies, we recommend a 9-12’ leader in 6x. As a reminder, Brown Trout will begin their spawning soon, so you will want to avoid fishing to paired up spawners and avoid stepping on Redds.
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
Flows are holding below average on the Housatonic and flows are currently reading 212 CFS at Falls Village, a slight increase when compared to last week. The good news is that trout have been recently stocked on two occasions, and these fish will be forgiving in terms of fly selection. This means Mop Flies, Squirmy Worms, and a variety of streamers will be effective. Anglers are also still finding some Smallmouth Bass. More educated trout that have been in the system longer are keying in on flying ants, Sulphurs, Blue Winged Olives, and some Isonychia during the evening. For Smallmouth, we recommend streamers such as Wolly Buggers, Crayfish Patterns, and popper flies. Anglers are also opting for Carp or Pike fishing. Woolly Buggers will be an effective option for both.
Dry Fly Hatches:
Blue Winged Olives (overcast days) 18-24
Blue Winged Olive Emerger 18-20
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
Saltwater
The Eastern Sound has been seeing consistent action from Bridgeport to Fisher’s Island, especially during lowlight hours. The most prevalent bait is Peanut Bunker, Bay Anchovies, and Silversides. Stripers and Bluefish have been chasing them on the surface, and there are a few Bonito and an arrival of some scattered pods of Albies. Most activity is in the Eastern Sound, Niantic, Middleground and Fisher’s Island where you may find Albies and Bonito chasing Peanut Bunker. The schools are small and scattered, so covering ground to search for them is going to be the most effective. If you find they are tough to hook, throwing small Bay Anchovy patterns may be the ticket. Larger Stripers are also showing up with sporadic topwater action, especially around the Connecticut River. The shoreline fishing along the Western portion of the sound: Westport, Norwalk, Greenwich, has been spotty with some Stripers and Bluefish blitzing of Peanut Bunker. Boat anglers are finding a few Albies and Bonito scattered further West around reef structure. Around the Norwalk Islands, Compo Beach, Old Mill Pond, and the beaches off Fairfield are seeing more action during the morning. The most prevalent bait is Peanut Bunker in 3”and Silversides. There are still Stripers holding in the deeper water ledges; however, surface action has been inconsistent. Overall, Albies have entered the Sound in larger numbers and have scattered throughout the area. In general, this week has proved a bit tougher since the storm, as things have been shuffled around and are starting to settle.
Hot Flies for Summer/Fall:
Custom Tied Baby Bunker (Super Realistic!)
Bob’s Banger (Stripers and Bluefish)
Surf Candies for Bonito and Albies
Good Fly Lines for Fall:
Rio Outbound Short (Good for big flies and big winds)
Rio Striper (Good all-rounder)
Leaders:
9' 16lb Fluorocarbon Leader for Bonito and Albies
Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.
New York
Salmon River
Salmon season is underway up on the Salmon River in Pulaski, with pods of Kings and Cohos entering the river each day. With low water the run has been slow so far with fish staging in the estuary, however some anglers are having success first thing in the morning. Fish are spread out in deeper pools throughout the lower river. Steelhead are just starting to enter the lower sections of the river. Currently flows are low, reading 198 CFS at the Pineville Gauge. There haven’t been any significant high-water events to push many fish into the system. There are a few Salmon that are starting to push into the middle and upper sections of the river. For Kings and Cohos, we recommend using a 16-20 tapered leader with split shot rigged above a micro swivel to avoid having your split shot slide down to your fly. For flies, more aggressive fish in the lower sections will grab larger and bright colored intruders from Pink to Blue and Chartreuse swung on single and two-hand rods. Egg sucking leeches, Woolly Buggers, Glo Bugs, and Estaz Eggs in a variety of colors will work well.
Catskills
Flows on the Mainstem of the Delaware River are below average with the Lordville Gauge reading 1300 CFS. Water temperatures on the Mainstem are now in the low to mid 50s, and flows will be clear and still fishable by drift boat while a little high for wading on the Main and West Branch. The East Branch flows are low, 257 CFS at Fishes Eddy, while the West Branch is above average reading 942 CFS at Hale Eddy. Hatches have been improving, and some days have been producing great Blue Winged Olive hatches. On brighter sunny days you can expect the hatches to be best during the evening. For hatches you can expect Blue Winged Olives on overcast days, Light Cahill, Tan Caddis, and Isonychia. Often, fish will be keyed in on very small Blue Winged Olives (Pseudos in size 20-28) during the afternoon. It will also be worth bringing a few ant patterns. Nymphing will be the most effective method when there are no hatches, while streamer fishing may be a little tougher. Sticking to streamer fishing during the morning with floating lines will pick up a few aggressive Trout during these below average flows. With current water temperatures Trout are spread out into a variety of different water types, so don’t overlook the faster riffles, especially using an Isonychia as a searching pattern towards the evening. The smaller rivers around the area still have fishable temperatures, especially during the morning. Hatch sizes will be small and trickier to fish this time of year, and we recommend a leader at least 12’ long in 6x.
Dry Fly Hatches:
Blue Winged Olives (overcast days) 18-24
Blue Winged Olive Emerger 18-20
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 Saltwater
Things are still settling post storm in New York and Long Island, and the most significant improvement is an uptick in Striper action along the South Shore, especially further West. Fish up to 45 inches have been chasing bait on top. Albies have been scattered, since the blow, and are not as concentrated as they were before the storm. You will still find some scattered pods along the Northshore with Bonito, as well as some improved Striper fishing. We can expect Striper fishing to improve in Montauk with the cooler weather. There are also some Bluefish along the Northshore. The fishing has just started to bounce back as the weather settles.
Rhode Island Saltwater
It’s a similar story in Rhode Island, and anglers are still finding some scattered schools of Albies and Bonito on the south shore on small Bay Anchovies and sometimes Peanut Bunker. Bass fishing has remained consistent for topwater, and anglers are still finding good action in the Providence River. There are some Stripers around Newport, which has been best during low light hours. Block Island is seeing good numbers of Bonito and more sizeable Bluefish with some Stripers holding in the deeper water ledges. Watch Hill and Point Judith are still seeing Striper blitzes along the beach, with some scattered pods of Albies and Bonito. Thankfully there is still plenty of Fall run action post storm.