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Saugatuck Reservoir Fishing Report

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

Fairfield County’s hidden water: Saugatuck Reservoir holds trout and bass under strict watershed rules.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
55 cfs
Air / High
80 / 81 F
Wind
WNW 8 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01209005, 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.

Saugatuck Reservoir sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 55 cfs, on the rise. Today brings clear skies, wind WNW around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 81. Water sits around 73 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

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Rainbow troutGood

Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Largemouth bassFair

Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

CrappieSlow

Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 74 F. 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 Saugatuck River below Saugatuck Reservoir.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01209005.

15314755 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp80 F
High / Low81 / 68 F
WindWNW 8-17 mph
Pressure1010.0 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain6% cloud, 59%
Sunrise / Sunset06:22 / 19:21
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~73 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 · Storms, 81/68 F, wind 12 mph, rain 59%

Fair or better. Cloud and a rain chance can stretch the morning bite well past breakfast: keep moving baits tied on.

Species guide

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

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: spring and fall

The headline act on most American reservoirs. Relates to cover: docks, brush, grass edges and points. Prime chasing season. Work moving baits on points and pockets: spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and squarebills, with a stick worm behind for followers.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Prime dry-fly and hopper season. Match the hatch morning and evening; nymph the seams midday.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: Nov-Mar

Brush piles, bridge pilings and standing timber. The fish fry favorite. Spawning shallow around cover in spring; jigs under a float near buck brush and laydowns.

When to come: the Saugatuck Reservoir 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
Largemouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Rainbow trout
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 73 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~73 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 Saugatuck Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 84 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 70 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 76 F, wind to 8 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

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 plus a water company fishing permit. Boat, motor and access restrictions apply: verify current rules with Aquarion and DEEP.

Access

Permit-based shoreline and boat access at designated areas; Saugatuck River access below the dam.

About this water

An 850-acre drinking-water reservoir in Fairfield County, Connecticut, managed with watershed access restrictions.

Fishing Saugatuck Reservoir: the full guide

A protected water supply

Saugatuck Reservoir stretches about 850 acres through the hills of Fairfield County, supplying drinking water to southwestern Connecticut and managed with the restrictions that implies: a permit is required, boats are limited, and no body contact is allowed. Those rules have preserved a quiet, lightly fished lake with trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, and panfish in clear water.

Trout and bass

The reservoir is deep and cold enough to hold trout through summer, with the state and the water company managing the fishery. Trolling and deep presentations reach them in warm months, while spring and fall bring them shallower. Smallmouth work the rocky shorelines and points, largemouth the coves and wood, both in clear water that rewards finesse.

Fishing under permit

Access requires a permit from the water utility, and the rules on boats, motors and shoreline access are specific. That friction is exactly why the fishing stays good in one of the most densely populated corners of the country: fish here see far less pressure than any comparable water within an hour of New York City.

Fairfield County logistics

Permit-based shore and boat access is managed by the water company, with designated areas along the reservoir. Redding and Weston surround it, and the Saugatuck River below the dam offers stocked trout fishing with public access. Verify current permit requirements and rules before planning: they change and are enforced.

Common questions

Do I need a special permit?

Yes: a water company permit in addition to the Connecticut license, with specific rules on boats and access.

Is the fishing worth the paperwork?

For many anglers, yes: restricted access keeps pressure remarkably low for southwestern Connecticut.

What about the river below?

The Saugatuck below the dam is stocked with trout and offers straightforward public access.

Is fishing good at Saugatuck Reservoir 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

Candlewood Lake16 miLong Island Sound19 miHousatonic River29 miLake Waramaug30 miBantam Lake33 miNaugatuck River33 mi
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