Share your catch

Pemigewasset River Fishing Report

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

The Pemi: New Hampshire’s central river runs trout and smallmouth from Franconia Notch to the Merrimack.

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

Sources: USGS gauge 01076500, 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.

Pemigewasset River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. The river is running 221 cfs, on the rise. 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: Similar at 74 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 Pemigewasset River at Plymouth.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 01076500.

178221264221 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp78 F
High / Low78 / 63 F
WindNW 11-16 mph
Pressure1009.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain20% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset06:14 / 19:17
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, 78/63 F, wind 11 mph, rain 1%

Fair or better. A 11 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Pemigewasset 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 Pemigewasset 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 Pemigewasset 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 71 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 68 F, wind to 8 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 74 F, wind to 6 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 license. Trout and bass limits per current NH Fish and Game regulations; some reaches have special rules.

Access

Interstate 93 and Route 3 access points; White Mountain National Forest access on the upper river and East Branch.

About this water

A 65-mile river from Franconia Notch to the Merrimack at Franklin, Grafton County, New Hampshire.

Fishing Pemigewasset River: the full guide

A White Mountains river

The Pemigewasset River flows about 65 miles from Franconia Notch through central New Hampshire to join the Winnipesaukee River and form the Merrimack at Franklin. The upper river runs cold through the notch and the national forest, holding trout; the middle river around Plymouth adds smallmouth bass; and the lower reaches hold bass, pike and panfish.

Trout in the upper river

The upper Pemi and its tributaries through Franconia Notch and Lincoln hold brook and rainbow trout in cold mountain water, stocked and wild. The East Branch, joining at Lincoln, drains the Pemigewasset Wilderness and holds wild brookies for anglers willing to walk. Spring and fall are the strongest seasons.

Smallmouth downstream

From Plymouth down the river warms into good smallmouth water, with ledges, pools and rock holding fish through summer. It is excellent wading and canoe water, lightly fished compared with the lakes nearby. Trout stocking continues in stretches, giving a mixed fishery through the middle river.

Grafton County logistics

Interstate 93 and Route 3 parallel the river with numerous access points, and the national forest provides upper-river access. Plymouth, Lincoln and Ashland provide services. Flows rise fast with mountain rain and snowmelt: spring runoff makes the upper river unfishable until it drops, usually by June.

Common questions

Where are the wild trout?

The East Branch draining the Pemigewasset Wilderness and the upper tributaries: brook trout for those willing to walk.

Is the smallmouth fishing good?

Yes, from Plymouth downstream: lightly fished ledge and pool water, excellent for wading and canoes.

When does runoff end?

Usually by June: spring snowmelt keeps the upper river high and unfishable until then.

Is fishing good at Pemigewasset 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

Squam Lake7 miNewfound Lake9 miLake Winnipesaukee19 miLake Sunapee32 miConnecticut River33 miSaco River33 mi
Share your catch