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Ausable River Fishing Report

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

The Adirondacks' flagship: the West Branch's boulder pools below Whiteface, where New York trout fishing keeps its cathedral.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
194 cfs
Air / High
75 / 76 F
Wind
WNW 10 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 04275500, 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Ausable River rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 194 cfs, steady over the week. Today brings a mixed sky, wind WNW around 10 mph, rising pressure near 1011 hPa and a high of 76. 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 69 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 Ausable River near Au Sable Forks.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 04275500.

273468663194 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp75 F
High / Low76 / 59 F
WindWNW 10-15 mph
Pressure1010.6 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain32% cloud, 7%
Sunrise / Sunset06:21 / 19:26
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 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Overcast, 76/59 F, wind 10 mph, rain 7%

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 Ausable 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 Ausable 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 Ausable 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 82 F, wind to 10 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 75 F, wind to 13 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

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 74 F, wind to 6 mph.

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

License

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

Regulations

New York license. C&R artificial-only stretch below Monument Falls; standard elsewhere: check DEC.

Access

Route 86 pull-offs (Flume, Monument Falls, Shadow Rock), Wilmington notch accesses.

About this water

The West Branch below Whiteface, Essex County, NY. The Adirondacks' trout cathedral.

Fishing Ausable River: the full guide

The West Branch standard

The Ausable's West Branch drains Whiteface Mountain through a corridor of boulder pockets and dark pools: New York's most storied trout water: brown trout in the famous flats (the Flume, Shadow Rock, Monument Falls), stocked-and-wild fish through 30 fishable miles, and a fly-fishing heritage (Fran Betters' legacy) stitched into every pull-off.

Reading Adirondack water

Pocket-water rules with tannin adjustments: Ausable Wulffs and Haystacks (the river's own patterns) ride the broken water, big stonefly nymphs mine the slots, and streamers move the browns that ate their neighbors. The river warms in high summer (fish mornings, rest it at 68F): spring and fall carry the quality.

The two-branch system

The East Branch runs quieter and colder (wild fish, intimate water): the branches join at Au Sable Forks toward Lake Champlain: and the lower river adds landlocked salmon runs in spring and fall (Champlain's fish pushing upriver: a quiet bonus fishery). One valley, three distinct trips.

High-peaks practicalities

Route 86 ladders the West Branch (pull-offs at every named pool: the two-mile catch-and-release stretch below Monument Falls is the heart): Wilmington anchors services and the Betters legacy shops: and Whiteface's ski economy keeps lodging honest. Our Au Sable Forks gauge reads the system: 200-600 CFS wades classically.

Common questions

What flies work on the Ausable?

The river's own: Ausable Wulff, Haystack, Usual: buoyant patterns born for its broken water. Big stones underneath and streamers for the pool bullies complete the local trinity.

When does the Ausable fish best?

May-June (Hendricksons through drakes) and September's cool revival: high summer needs dawn starts and thermometer ethics. Winter fishes the deep pools for the devoted.

Is fishing good at Ausable River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Lake Champlain21 miSaranac Lake27 miWinooski River27 miMissisquoi River43 miWaterbury Reservoir45 miLake George58 mi
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