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Connecticut River Fishing Report

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

New England’s longest river: the Connecticut runs smallmouth, walleye and trout past the New Hampshire-Vermont line.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
1,610 cfs
Air / High
79 / 80 F
Wind
NW 10 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 01144500, 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.

Connecticut River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The river is running 1,610 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind NW around 10 mph, rising pressure near 1009 hPa and a high of 80. 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

MuskellungeExcellent

Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Smallmouth bassGood

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

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

Tomorrow: Similar at 76 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 Connecticut River at West Lebanon.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01144500.

1,7602,4103,0601,610 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp79 F
High / Low80 / 62 F
WindNW 10-15 mph
Pressure1009.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain14% cloud, 4%
Sunrise / Sunset06:16 / 19:19
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 · Showers, 80/62 F, wind 10 mph, rain 4%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

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

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.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Best: Sep-Nov

The fish of ten thousand casts. Weed edges, rock bars and big-water structure. Bucktails and rubber over cabbage and rock bars; moon majors matter here more than anywhere.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Good year-round

The most reliable bite on most southern waters. Blues run big; channels fill the cooler. Drift cut bait across flats near the river channel, or anchor on ledges at dusk.

When to come: the Connecticut 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
Smallmouth bass
Walleye
Muskellunge
Catfish (blue, channel)
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 Connecticut 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. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 78 F, wind to 5 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

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 70 F, wind to 5 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

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

Regulations

New Hampshire or Vermont license covers most boundary water: confirm current reciprocity. Trophy trout sections above Pittsburg have special rules.

Access

Boat ramps and access points from Pittsburg through Hanover and Charlestown; bridge crossings throughout.

About this water

New England’s longest river, forming the New Hampshire-Vermont border: trout above Pittsburg, smallmouth and walleye downstream.

Fishing Connecticut River: the full guide

Four hundred miles of river

The Connecticut River runs 410 miles from the Canadian border to Long Island Sound, forming the New Hampshire-Vermont line for much of its length. The upper river through the Great North Woods holds trout and landlocked salmon below the Connecticut Lakes; the middle river around Hanover and Lebanon fishes for smallmouth, walleye and northern pike; and the whole system offers accessible, uncrowded fishing that most anglers drive past.

Smallmouth and walleye

The middle river is the smallmouth fishery: work the ledges, current seams and deeper pools with tubes, crankbaits and topwater from a canoe, kayak or by wading. Fish run good size and see little pressure. Walleye hold the deeper holes and below the dams, taking jigs and crankbaits at dawn and after dark. Northern pike lurk in the slower backwaters and oxbows.

The upper river trout

Below First and Second Connecticut Lakes near Pittsburg, the river runs cold and holds trout and landlocked salmon: fly water with a devoted following, fished with streamers, nymphs and dries through the season. Trophy sections carry special regulations. The Pittsburg region is New Hampshire’s north woods, remote and quiet, with moose more common than other anglers.

Access along the valley

Public access points, boat ramps and bridge crossings thread the whole river, with Hanover, Lebanon and Charlestown serving the middle reaches and Pittsburg the upper river. Dams create pools and change conditions: flows are manageable but check the gauge at West Lebanon before floating. Either New Hampshire or Vermont license covers most boundary water: verify current terms.

Common questions

Where are the trout?

The upper river below the Connecticut Lakes near Pittsburg: cold water with trout and landlocked salmon under special regulations.

Is the smallmouth fishing good?

Yes and underfished: the middle river holds quality fish with a fraction of the pressure of lakes nearby.

Which license?

Either state covers most boundary water: confirm current reciprocity terms before fishing.

Is fishing good at Connecticut 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

White River7 miLake Sunapee23 miNewfound Lake27 miPemigewasset River33 miSquam Lake40 miLake Winnipesaukee49 mi
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