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Farmington River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

New England's year-round tailwater: cold Riverton releases, wild-and-holdover browns past 20 inches, and hatches that never take a month off.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
213 cfs
Air / High
77 / 78 F
Wind
NW 11 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01186000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Farmington River feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. The river is running 213 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind NW around 11 mph, rising pressure near 1009 hPa and a high of 78. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 73 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from West Branch Farmington at Riverton.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01186000.

110173236213 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp77 F
High / Low78 / 65 F
WindNW 11-18 mph
Pressure1009.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain11% cloud, 25%
Sunrise / Sunset06:20 / 19:20
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 78/65 F, wind 12 mph, rain 25%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Farmington River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Farmington River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Farmington River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 79 F, wind to 7 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 71 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 68 F, wind to 9 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Connecticut requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Connecticut license. TMA: catch-and-release year-round; other reaches seasonal harvest: check CT DEEP.

Access

Riverton, Church Pool, Peoples Forest, Barkhamsted TMA pull-offs along 181/318.

About this water

21 tailwater miles of the West Branch, Litchfield/Hartford counties, CT. New England's most dependable trout river.

Fishing Farmington River: the full guide

The Farmington bargain

The West Branch below Colebrook's dams runs cold all year: 50s in August when every freestone in Connecticut simmers: and the trout answer accordingly. Wild browns, quality holdovers and a survivor-strain stocking program build a river where 18-20-inch fish are weekly events and the season never closes.

The TMA and the people's water

The catch-and-release trout management area (the 'permanent TMA' through Barkhamsted) holds the density and the pressure: educated browns in classic riffle-pool water. Above and below, harvest reaches spread the crowd. Access is pull-off easy along Route 181/318: the river's culture (UpCountry's boards, courteous rotations) is half its charm.

A hatch for every month

Winter midges and early stones, Hendricksons in April, the sulphur months (May-July: the river's signature evenings), Isonychia and tricos through summer, October caddis to close. When nothing shows, sowbug-and-pheasant-tail nymphing through the buckets never fails: the cold water keeps metabolisms honest.

Reading the releases

Riverton's dam controls the day: 150-400 CFS wades comfortably (our gauge panel tracks it), higher pushes fish to the soft edges. Summer heat makes the Farmington the region's refuge: fish it guilt-free while warm rivers rest. Winter mornings fish better than reputation claims: midges at noon, empty runs, wild fish.

Common questions

When is the sulphur hatch on the Farmington?

Mid-May through July, evenings: the river's defining event. The Church Pool's rises are the postcard: arrive early for space, stay past dusk for the spinners.

Can you fish the Farmington in winter?

Better than almost anywhere in New England: the tailwater stays open and midges hatch at midday. Nymph the slow buckets: the browns eat all winter.

Is fishing good at Farmington River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Highland Lake7 miNaugatuck River20 miBantam Lake21 miLake Waramaug29 miHousatonic River34 miSwift River39 mi
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