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
Hello everyone! I’m glad to be back in the States and sharing some insights with you all from my first week or so back on the water here in Vermont. I will have more information to come as I continue to refresh myself on the water nearby.
First off, thank you to everyone who came out for the Otter Creek Classic last weekend. It’s pretty humbling to realize we’ve made it 18 years, and we’re already looking ahead to OCC19, scheduled for April 9–11, 2027. With around 95 anglers on the water, we gathered some great early-season feedback.
With the warmer weather this past week, we are finally getting some open water on the rivers around Middlebury. Currently Otter Creek in Middlebury is at 1000 CFS, and in Rutland just below 700. The New Haven is at right around 250 and most rivers are running fairly clear with a hint of the runoff blueish-green color.
We’re coming up towards the end of October and with it the end of the traditional fishing season. Remember, Vermont does have a plethora of year round water available to keep fishing into November and the Winter beyond, however, these last few weeks will be some of the last chances to target fish that are eating consistently and moving aggressively on food.
Get out while you can! The cooler temperatures combined with the recent rain has been making the fishing hot right now!
The New Haven peaked at nearly 800 CFS on Wednesday morning and has dropped down to 75 and has gone from muddy to clear but the fish have seemed much happier and more active on both it and the Middlebury since the increase in flows. The Otter Creek has just peaked today at around 530 and with the colder temperatures, should fish well for trout, pike, and smallmouth as long as the flows stay above 300/400.
Finally! With this week’s inch plus of total rain, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The New Haven peaked last night at just over 200 CFS, a flow level it hadn’t reached since 96 days prior, back in June. It’s back down to around 135 CFS, but that is still a steady improvement to the previous conditions. The Otter in Middlebury is up to right around 200 CFS and climbing. If it continues to rise and with the lower temperatures it has, fishing the Otter could be worth considering. The other tributaries, further south, have also been fishing well.
Chilly nights have been a blessing recently, but their positive impact has been (at least) balanced out by how low our rivers have been. The drought from this summer has continued; however, hopefully conditions and the fishing will continue to improve as fall comes into swing.
June 2nd Fishing Report – Vermont
It’s been a wild spring, with water temps and flows bouncing all over the place. I was able to wet wade a stretch of the New Haven last week, but after the recent rains, I’m back in waders and a light puffy. Water temps in Addison County streams had been steadily climbing—we pulled a 58°F on the Middlebury and a 61.4°F on the New Haven last week—but this morning the New Haven cooled off dramatically to 49.6°F.
Here's a mid-March fishing report for Vermont, packed with insights for anglers navigating the unpredictable spring conditions:
Welcome to the uncertainty of fishing in March in Vermont. By the end of last week, rivers were in great shape, especially the smaller freestone streams in the valley with excellent flows and visibility. If you had the chance to fish then, you may have enjoyed some prime conditions. However, expect things to shift quickly as we’re in for another round of rain and snow, which could change the game.
It’s looking like we will have a string of favorable weather here over the next 10 days. Air temps are predicted to reach into the 40’s. With this warm up it’s no surprise to see rivers opening up and some little black stones crawling around in the snow at the water’s edge.
My ideal early spring fishing conditions start in the mid 30’s and end in the upper 30’s. With this much snow on the ground, warmer temps will cause the snow to melt which will stain and drop the water temps.
