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Winooski River Fishing Report

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

Vermont’s central river: the Winooski runs trout, smallmouth and steelhead from the Greens to Champlain.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Flow
312 cfs
Air / High
74 / 76 F
Wind
NNW 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 04290500, 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Winooski River sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. The river is running 312 cfs, on the rise. Today brings cloud cover, wind NNW around 9 mph, rising pressure near 1010 hPa and a high of 76. 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 bassExcellent

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

WalleyeExcellent

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

MuskellungeExcellent

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

Catfish (blue, channel)Excellent

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

Tomorrow: Cooler at 71 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 near Essex Junction.

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 04290500.

303506710312 cfs08/0508/1508/2509/04

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp74 F
High / Low76 / 62 F
WindNNW 9-14 mph
Pressure1010.3 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain95% cloud, 13%
Sunrise / Sunset06:18 / 19:23
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 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 76/62 F, wind 12 mph, rain 13%

Fair or better. A 12 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Winooski 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 Winooski 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 Winooski River 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 80 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

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 74 F, wind to 13 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

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 77 F, wind to 8 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, salmon and steelhead seasons and limits vary by reach: check current Vermont Fish and Wildlife regulations.

Access

Route 2 pullouts on the upper and middle river; city park access in Winooski and Burlington for the lower river.

About this water

A 90-mile river across central Vermont from the Green Mountains to Lake Champlain at Burlington.

Fishing Winooski River: the full guide

A river across the state

The Winooski River flows about 90 miles across central Vermont from the Green Mountains to Lake Champlain at Burlington, one of few rivers to cut entirely through the range. Its upper reaches hold wild and stocked trout; the middle river adds smallmouth bass; and the lower river below the falls receives steelhead, landlocked salmon and walleye running up from Champlain.

Trout upstream

The upper river and tributaries around Montpelier and Waterbury hold brown and rainbow trout, with wild fish in the colder feeders. Nymphs, streamers and dries all produce, with spring and fall the strongest seasons. Vermont stocks portions, and the river fishes well for anglers willing to explore access points along Route 2.

Champlain runs

The lower river below the Winooski falls receives steelhead and landlocked salmon from Lake Champlain in spring and fall, a genuine run fishery within sight of Burlington. Walleye also run up in spring. The fish ladder and the falls concentrate them, and the seasons and rules are specific: check current regulations.

Chittenden County logistics

Access is via Route 2 along the upper and middle river and city parks in the Burlington area for the lower reaches. Montpelier, Waterbury and Winooski provide services. Flows respond to rain and snowmelt: the river rises fast in spring, and the lower reaches near the lake stay fishable longer.

Common questions

Are there steelhead?

Yes: steelhead and landlocked salmon run up from Lake Champlain into the lower river in spring and fall.

Where are the trout?

The upper river and tributaries around Montpelier and Waterbury, with wild fish in the colder feeders.

Is there walleye fishing?

Yes: walleye run up from Champlain in spring, concentrating near the falls and lower river.

Is fishing good at Winooski River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Lake Champlain12 miWaterbury Reservoir20 miAusable River27 miMissisquoi River30 miSaranac Lake54 miLake Willoughby56 mi
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