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Waterbury Reservoir Fishing Report

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

Below Camel’s Hump: Waterbury Reservoir holds trout, bass and quiet water in central Vermont.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Flow
79 cfs
Air / High
74 / 74 F
Wind
NW 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 04286000, 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.

Waterbury Reservoir rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The river is running 79 cfs, on the rise. Today brings a mixed sky, wind NW around 9 mph, rising pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 74. 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.

Brook troutGood

The best weeks of the year: fish spread through runs and riffles and eat willingly. Small streamers, beadhead nymphs and caddis dries all produce, with fall fish coloring up hard.

Brown troutGood

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

Tomorrow: Similar at 70 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 Winooski River at Montpelier (regional flow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 04286000.

10317524679 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp74 F
High / Low74 / 60 F
WindNW 9-14 mph
Pressure1010.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain28% cloud, 12%
Sunrise / Sunset06:17 / 19:22
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, 74/60 F, wind 9 mph, rain 12%

Fair or better. A 9 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Waterbury Reservoir: 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.

Brook trout illustration

Brook trout

Best: May-Jun and Sep-Oct

North America’s native char: a small-stream specialist that demands cold, clean water and repays it with the prettiest fish in the woods. The best weeks of the year: fish spread through runs and riffles and eat willingly. Small streamers, beadhead nymphs and caddis dries all produce, with fall fish coloring up hard.

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 Waterbury 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
Rainbow trout
Brook 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 Waterbury Reservoir 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 78 F, wind to 15 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 69 F, wind to 13 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 7 mph.

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

License

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

Regulations

Vermont license. Trout and bass limits per current Vermont Fish and Wildlife regulations; horsepower restrictions apply.

Access

Little River State Park ramp and camping; Waterbury Center day-use access.

About this water

An 850-acre flood-control reservoir on the Little River, Washington County, Vermont, built by the CCC in the 1930s.

Fishing Waterbury Reservoir: the full guide

A CCC-era reservoir

Waterbury Reservoir covers about 850 acres on the Little River in central Vermont, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s for flood control after the devastating 1927 floods. It is now the centerpiece of Little River State Park, ringed by forest with the Green Mountains rising behind. Rainbow, brown and brook trout share it with smallmouth and largemouth bass, yellow perch and pickerel.

Trout and bass

Trout hold the deeper water and near the inflows, taking trolled spoons and flies in spring and fall and requiring depth in summer. Smallmouth work the rocky shorelines and points from June onward, largemouth the weedier coves. The reservoir is deep enough to stratify, so summer fishing means either early mornings or getting below the thermocline.

Paddling and access

The reservoir is a favorite for canoes and kayaks, with remote campsites accessible only by water: a genuinely appealing overnight trip. Horsepower restrictions keep it calm. Fall color on the surrounding hills makes September and October trips worth taking for the scenery alone, and the fishing improves as water cools.

Waterbury logistics

Little River State Park provides the main ramp, camping and shoreline access, with a second access at the Waterbury Center day-use area. Waterbury village is minutes away on Interstate 89, with Stowe just north. The park fills on summer weekends: weekdays and shoulder seasons are quieter for anglers.

Common questions

Can I camp on the water?

Yes: remote campsites accessible only by boat or paddle make for an appealing overnight trip.

What can I catch?

Rainbow, brown and brook trout in the cooler water, plus smallmouth and largemouth bass along the shorelines.

When is it quietest?

Weekdays and the fall shoulder season, when the park empties and the fishing improves as water cools.

Is fishing good at Waterbury 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

Winooski River20 miLake Champlain31 miMissisquoi River42 miLake Willoughby43 miAusable River45 miSeymour Lake47 mi
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