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Fishing Reports
LOOKING TO UP YOUR GAME OR FIND SOME NEW IDEAS TO TAKE YOUR FISHING TO THE NEXT LEVEL? CHECK OUT OUR COMPLEAT JOURNAL FOR TIPS, TRICKS, AND INFO FROM THE FIELD.
Northeast Fishing Report: 6/28/2024
Hello Compleat Angler friends! The good news for this week is the rain that we received on Wednesday evening. This has helped improve flows, increasing them locally on our rivers and streams to above average. The rain has also helped cool water temperatures a bit; you will still want to check your stream temperatures and fish during the morning hours to have safe water temperatures for trout. Generally, temperatures below 68 degrees are safe to avoid stressing trout. Temperatures and flows are ideal on the Farmington River, and there has been some spectacular dry fly action, most notable is the evening Sulphur hatches. You will want to bring a variety of dry flies, including the emergers and spinners of each variation. The Housatonic has been largely unaffected by the rain with low flows and warmer water temperatures. There is some great Smallmouth Bass fishing this time of year as well as Pike and Carp. Saltwater fishing has been a hit or miss this past week, with some anglers finding Bluefish mixed in with Stripers on Sand Eels or Adult Bunker. Low light conditions with tide movement will help improve your odds of finding fish up and willing to cooperate. With more migratory fish moving East both Long Island and Rhode Island have seen improvements. Read on for more…
NORTHEAST FISHING REPORT: 6/21/2024
Hello Compleat Angler friends! We hope you all have been finding ways to keep cool this week. Unfortunately, this is not the case for our local rivers and streams, combined with the air temperatures and low flows water temperatures have approached an unsafe level to fish. Doing so would put additional stress on trout causing a significant increase in mortality rate. Currently our fishable option is the Farmington which has cooler water temperatures from dam release, or heading north to the West Branch of the Delaware. Alternative options are available such as Smallmouth Bass and Carp fishing on the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers. Local saltwater fishing continues to impress with more variety this week thanks to increasing numbers of Bluefish, however the Stripers are still Blitzing on Adult Bunker. The trend is that the Striper fishing has spread out along the coast, from the mouth of the Connecticut River through Greenwich as fish are on the move. Read on for more…
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Northeast Fishing Report: 6/14/2024
Hello Compleat Angler friends! This week for our freshwater fisheries we have another week of lower-than-average flows, however there is still an abundance of trout and anglers are persevering. Dry fly action has been fantastic, however make sure to check water temperatures during this upcoming week as we will have some hotter days in store. Anglers are catching fish on a variety of techniques, however in the evenings many fish have been rising to a variety of bugs, whether they’re on Sulphurs, Midges, or Cahills. Blue Winged Olives and Caddis hatches have been steady in the late mornings and afternoons. Since flows are lower and clear, trout are on their A game as they are familiar with the natural forage, so using smaller and more imitative nymphs with 5-6x tippet is a good strategy. The Farmington is also seeing some fantastic dry fly action with quality fish being brought to hand. On the Delaware hatches have been hit or miss, so it helps to plan to fish on your overcast days if you’re looking for more dry fly action. On the saltwater side, Striper fishing continues to be steady whether you’re looking to target the flats, coves, beaches, or deeper water structures. Bluefish are also arriving with more frequency, so it helps to have some bite wire on your trips. So many great options are available this month. Read on for more…
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Northeast Fishing Report: 6/7/2024
Hello Compleat Angler Friends! No major changes have happened for our freshwater fishing in local rivers and streams besides seeing lower flows. The fishing and hatches have been great, and there are plenty of fish being caught using a variety of techniques. Tan Caddis in sizes 14-18 have been the local star of the show. The Housatonic has been fishing great now that flows are easy for wading and temperatures are still good. In fact, all of our options in Connecticut are fishing well, however flows are lower than average across the state so low water tactics are in play. This usually consists of longer leaders, sometimes smaller flies, and a stealthier approach when wading. Saltwater fishing has been really heating up locally and in Rhode Island and New York. Another push of larger Stripers has moved in, and they are being found more locally on the Connecticut shoreline. The most prevalent bait is Sand Eels and Adult Bunker, which are fueling blitzes during low light conditions. Look for fish popping on Sand Eels right off the beaches during the mornings, and fish pushing Adult Bunker around deeper water structure, in coves, and around the mouths of rivers. There are more large Bluefish up to 15lbs that can be a lot of fun using poppers and larger flies with wire leader. We are certainly into the peak of our season with so many options available on both saltwater and freshwater fronts! Read on for more…
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Northeast Fishing Report: 5/31/2024
Hello Compleat Angler friends! This week the good news is that fishing has been holding up on all fronts, whether you’re in freshwater or saltwater. The shot of rain last week bumped flows just enough to help keep trout happy, and while local rivers and streams are below average, water temperatures are in good shape and so are the hatches. Cooler air temperatures have also helped the Delaware maintain fishable temperatures in many areas. Hatches have been steady, with Tan Caddis and Sulphurs stealing the show, followed by Blue Winged Olives and March Browns. Trout are coming up for dry flies, and the stocked fish are keying in more on the natural forage. In the saltwater the Striper bite continues to be strong, and an influx of Sand Eels and Bunker are improving the fishing on our side of the sound. We’re starting to see more Bluefish filtering into our area, as well as more migratory Stripers. The recent full moon has fueled some Cinder worm hatches in Rhode Island and New York, and the hatches continue to be strong with Stripers gorging on them in the evenings. This is a great time to get out and fish, as our options are plentiful. Read on for more…
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Northeast Fishing Report: 5/24/2024
Hello Compleat Angler friends! We hope everyone is excited for the Memorial Day weekend, and with that a little fishing. If you’re fishing locally for trout, flows have made an improvement with a shot of rain from Thursday, and this should still bode well for dry fly fishing. Sulphurs, Light Cahills, and March Browns are all good options to bring no matter where you’re fishing in the state. Anglers are still finding great numbers of fish, and size from stockings and holdovers. Flows and clarity will be good for wading for all our options across the state. Saltwater fishing continues to be good, and there have been some recent improvements as more Bunker filter into the beaches, harbors, and deep ledges. This will certainly heat up fishing on our side of the sound. In addition, look for Sand Eels off some of our beaches in Fairfield and Westport. Our friends in New York and Rhode Island are also seeing great action with the arrival of more bait. There is plenty of great fishing to be had at the moment! Read on for more…
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Northeast Fishing Report: 5/17/2024
Hello Compleat Angler Friends! With this week’s rain we’ve had a small bump in flows on our local rivers that will carry into the weekend. Things are still in good shape in terms of wading and clarity. Anglers are reporting great fishing and good numbers of fish with the late Spring stocking being completed across the state. We are now entering a transition time for bug activity. Caddis are still going steady, while Hendricksons have tapered off and will give way to Sulphurs. On the Delaware river dry fly fishing has been great, and anglers are now fooling fish on Caddis, March Browns, Blue Winged Olives, and some Sulphurs in select areas. The best hatch right now on the Farmington is Caddis and remember to bring your Blue Winged Olives for the overcast days. The Housatonic is back up above 1000 CFS but when flows are good you can expect an improvement in Trout and Smallmouth fishing. On the Saltwater side, things are improving daily, and large Bunker schools should be arriving on our side of the sound any day now. The most prevalent bait are Silversides and anglers are finding a nice mix of both migratory and resident fish. Read on for more…
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Northeast Fishing Report: 5/10/2024
Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Rain showers have kept flows near average levels, and more showers are expected into the weekend, with the exception being Saturday. Our freshwater anglers have been having a fun season enjoying the Hendrickson hatch. On the Delaware the hatch is continuing strong, while the hatch is moving upriver on the Farmington signaling the beginning of the end. The other prevalent hatch has been Tan/Olive Caddis in sizes 16-18, and Blue Winged Olives in 18-20 during overcast days. All our local small streams have been stocked with a few select rivers receiving their second stocking, so there are quite a few fish to be had. Everything is in good shape besides the Housatonic which is currently above 1000 CFS. Things continue to improve in the saltwater, and there is a mix of migratory and holdover Stripers. The most prevalent bait are Silversides and Herring, while Bunker should show up any week now. Read on for more…
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Northeast Fishing Report: 5/3/2024
Hello Compleat Anglers friends! This week we have a variety of freshwater options, as all rivers are at comfortable flows for wading, including the Housatonic. We’ve seen some great dry fly action recently, namely Hendricksons, and when timed right the Catskills and Farmington have seen fish keying in on the hatch and spinner falls. All of our local small streams are stocked, and anglers are finding plenty of fish, most notably on the Mianus and Norwalk Rivers, and both the Housatonic and Farmington were recently stocked. This is a great time of year for bug activity, and with flows near average there are plenty of options. In the saltwater things are heating up with the arrival of some migratory fish out in deeper water, in combination with more holdover fish that are filtering out into the sound. The prevalent bait right now is Herring though the Alewives are starting to congregate. New Jersey currently has the bulk of the migration while New York and Rhode Island continue to improve. Read on for more…
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Northeast Fishing Report: 4/26/2024
Hello Compleat Angler Friends! The most significant improvement this week is that flows are finally dropping back down to average levels. This will help boost dry fly activity during the afternoons, with the possibility of spinner falls in the evenings. The weather is lining up nicely for a great weekend of fishing: warm weather, slightly overcast, and low winds. While there are still some Stoneflies and Blue Winged Olives hatching, these are giving way to Hendricksons and Blue Quills, while Caddis and Midges remain relevant. Flows are now ideal for all our local options, as well as the Farmington and Delaware Rivers (with the exception still being the Housatonic) so there are plenty of options for this weekend and the week ahead. Steelhead season on the Great Lakes is slowly wrapping up, though anglers are still finding them in the lower portions of the river mixed in with Smallmouth. On the saltwater side, migratory fish are starting to show up along with Bunker schools in New York and Rhode Island, while anglers are awaiting the anticipated Squid Run in Rhody. In our local waters the fishing has been most consistent from Darien to Rye, while our wade anglers are still catching fish at the mouth of the Housatonic. Read on for more…
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Northeast Fishing Report: 4/19/2024
Hello Compleat Angler Friends! We hope everyone has had the chance to get out and fish in between this Spring’s rain. While flows have been generally higher than average, let’s hope the influx of water keeps the fishing consistent during the summer months when we need it most. On the freshwater side, flows are still above average but fishable on our local streams and rivers, and many anglers are doing well since the stockings, mostly by fishing subsurface. Look for more hatch activity when flows approach more average levels, especially Stoneflies, Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, and more recently Hendricksons. Both the Farmington and Housatonic are high, so use caution when fishing and high-water tactics, or wait until flows drop. Striper fishing continues to improve by the day, and while migratory fish have yet to show, there are plenty of holdover schoolies to keep you busy near the mouth of rivers, coves, and bays. Flows are up on the Delaware River which means your best option will be floating as opposed to wading. And on the Salmon River in New York, dropback Steelhead are spread throughout the system with more Smallmouth in the lower river. Covering ground is the name of the game to have a successful day. Read on for more…
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Northeast Fishing Report: 4/12/2024
Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Water levels are back up on our rivers and streams after Thursday’s rain. So most spots will be high and a bit stained. Conditions will improve earlier this upcoming week, and before the expected rain on Wednesday- Friday. Your high-water tactics will still pull a few fish: getting down aggressively with larger streamers and heavier nymphs. Saltwater fishing continues to improve for holdover at the mouth of rivers, near coves, and in bays. Clousers and Deceivers will be your best flies. It’s the same story in New York and Rhode Island, which means that migratory Stripers have yet to show up. In upstate New York on the Salmon River dropback Steelhead fishing continues to be good, with Smallmouth showing up in more numbers in the lower sections. Higher water on the Delaware from this week’s rain means that drifting the river is going to be your best bet, and dry fly activity has improved. Read on for more…