Fishing Report - 8/12/26
We are well into the dog days of summer and despite the August heat and lack of rain we’re still finding some fish. In terms of water levels. the New Haven River is at 44 CFS, Otter Creek in Middlebury at 350, and Rutland at 228, and Lewis Creek is at 34 CFS as of the time of writing. The forecast for the coming week shows generally lows around 60 degrees and highs in the upper 70s. There will be some scattered showers and thunderstorms in the evenings with potential for more significant rain later in the week. The most important condition to keep an eye on at this point in the year will be water temperatures. Remember, once temperatures get above 67 degrees, trout will not be able to survive the stress of being hooked, and handled, making catch and release impossible. If wishing to fish lower elevations, make sure to be fishing in the low light hours, particularly in the morning when water temps are lower. This also should correspond with the more active fish hours. During the middle of the days, the primary options will be to head up in elevation to the smaller brook trout streams and to target bass, pike, and the other warm water species on the still water, and lower reaches of the big rivers. The bass fishing on poppers and streamers has been quite good lately so if you’re seeking a break from limited low-water trout options, swapping for your 8 weight is a good idea. The other most effective strategy is to when possible time your fishing to be just after some rain. Even with the smaller storms and showers we’ve been receiving, timing your outings to just after the influx of cooler water and a slight change in clarity has had a great effect on the amount and quality of fish we’ve been seeing brought to the net. In terms of specific fly patterns for trout, small jigged streamers in lighter colors and crayfish flies have worked well in addition to small caddis and mayfly nymphs in sizes 16s and 18s. I’ve also seen a few caddis, and pale evening duns coming off in the evening, as well as some larger grasshoppers flying around on the banks. Fishing a hopper dropper with a grasshopper and a small caddis pupa or pheasant tail down below can be really effective this time of year. Make sure to get your flies tight to structure in the lower water levels as fish may be more reluctant to move from their holding lies. Stop by the shop on 56 Main Street if you need to pick up some flies, terminal tackle or some information before hitting the water. If you’re looking to find some more small streams to explore, take a float trip for bass or pike, or looking to get out on the rivers during a visit later this fall, don’t hesitate to reach out over the phone or in person about a guided trip as well.
Tight lines and good luck out on the water. Let’s all make sure to do our rain dance.
-Jake
Previous Reports
Greetings Anglers! May the fourth be with you. For sure it’s been a wet April out there. I heard today that we got double the amount of rain we usually get in April. This has made for some interesting conditions out there on our local rivers. Tons of water for sure, but that has also meant that our local resident trout population has been getting fed pretty regularly with all the runoff! It has also created some quickly decreasing clarity on the rivers when it does rain.
Its been awhile, but I thought I would jump in for a guest fishing report, OCC update and some overall thoughts for a successful early season on the water. It is without a doubt a very exciting time of the year. With the winter months all but behind us, we are looking into the slow but sure entry into warm weather and good fly fishing ahead. I have always felt that April was the most brutal month in VT.
General fishing report for March 29, 2019. Since we’ve last spoke we’ve lost some snow, gained a bunch in the mountains and started losing some again. The extended forecast looks to keep the melt going, but it doesn’t seem that we’ll have any huge runoff issues, not yet at least. For me personally, I have not been out recently, but perhaps this weekend. The Otter is a bit high and looks like it’s rising, but if you can find some slower water (but still moving) near some deeper winter holding areas that would be a good place to start.
After a Busy weekend of guiding and personal fishing, here’s what the guides have to report and what to look forward to. First off, just two more weeks left of the regular season! If that doesn’t get you motivated to get out and enjoy some fall fishing, then I’m not sure what will! Last weeks rain definitely had the fish in an eating mood, but it was hard to pin down any one fly that did the most work. Worms worked in the more off color water, as did nymphed and swung streamers, but as things cleared, more natural bugs like October caddis patterns and Pt’s did the work.
Greetings Anglers! I hope everyone is able to get out and enjoy this beautiful state that we live in! Despite the dry summer it seems that the trees don’t really care and are putting on quite the display for us. And we are getting rain, which makes the trees and us happy right? The recent spell of rain seems to have got the fish (trout) kicked into feeding mode, especially on the tribs. After a couple slow days on the Creek, I had a productive few hours on the Middlebury today, with nicely stained water and a ton of leaves to catch!
Hello Folks! Happy Fall! We did pick up some much needed rain this week, some areas more than others, but after a long, dry summer every bit helps. Locally the Otter seemed to have been the big winner, compliments of some significant downpours in the Rutland and northern Rutland County areas. Levels have seemed to plateau, and despite the big bump in levels, clarity is pretty good. Tribs did see a bit of a bump in levels, but are still low. Water temps have settled back as well.
