Both rivers have dropped every single day for the past ten days. The Beaverkill went from ~267 CFS on Oct. 20 to ~182 CFS Friday morning, which is only about 60% of its typical ~300–335 CFS for this weekend. The Willowemoc is at ~44 CFS against a median of ~62–80. That’s why we’re calling it fair: very fishable, but low and gin-clear, and the trout will be spooky. The good news is that water temps have held steady in the high 40s, a degree or two warmer than last week. Fish the deeper runs and the broken water at the heads of pools, stay well back from the tailouts, and go down to 6X with a #16–18 Pheasant Tail or a #18–20 Zebra Midge. Saturday is the colder day, so if you can only fish one, make it Sunday afternoon. Catch-and-release, artificials only on most NY streams until March 31.

The East Branch is the one river in our coverage that’s still running a little above normal. It has leveled off in the high 70s to low 80s all week (about 78 CFS Friday morning) against a typical ~67 CFS, which gives the fish a bit more cover than they have elsewhere. NWS has frost in the forecast for early Sunday, so plan on a late-morning start. Nymph the seams with a #16 Frenchie and a small midge or BWO nymph dropper, and if the afternoon stays calm, watch the slow pools for olives. A small dark streamer swung through the deeper bends is still a good bet for a bigger fish.

The Housy kept sliding all week, from ~541 CFS (daily mean) on Oct. 20 to about 360 CFS Friday morning. That’s below its early-November median, but still inside the comfortable 300–800 CFS range, and it makes for easy wading in places you can’t usually reach. Compleat Angler’s Oct. 23 report described strong Blue-Winged Olive hatches on calm afternoons, from about 1–4pm, with fish rising steadily in spots. Housatonic River Outfitters (Oct. 25) says fish are also eating flying ants, and recommends big streamers for holdover browns when nothing is rising. Falls Village will be one of the coldest spots in the region Saturday night (~27°F), so give the water a few hours of sun before you expect much.

The South Branch is sitting close to normal. Its flow stepped up from the low 90s to about 120 CFS on Oct. 24 and has eased slowly to ~112 CFS since, without any rain to explain it. The North Branch is a little low at ~17 CFS. There are plenty of fish: NJ Fish & Wildlife stocked 1,950 rainbows in the South Branch this fall, plus 260 in the Ken Lockwood Gorge, and the Black River’s allotment was moved to the South Branch because of low water. On The Water’s Oct. 29 Northern NJ report quotes a Paramus shop calling trout fishing “excellent” since the stocking. This is the warmest corner of our region, with no frost in the forecast, and Sunday should reach the low 60s. Two-trout, 9-inch limit on fall-stocked waters.

This is the striper run at its best. On The Water’s Oct. 29 reports have Queens charters catching one to three dozen 20–40 lb bass a trip on live bunker, Hampton Bays surf fish of 28–45 inches, and big bass from Raritan Bay down to Bay Head, including a Tuesday morning blitz at Sandy Hook. Montauk had a short topwater blitz of bass and giant bluefish on peanut bunker, with Albie Snax and big Deceivers working on the ebb. In Connecticut, the eastern Sound is holding mostly 28–36 inch bass on 2–5 inch peanuts, with schoolie blitzes along the shore and up into the rivers. False albacore look to be mostly done, with just a few scattered fish out of casting range. Bring a 9- or 10-weight, a sinking line for the deeper fish, and bunker-sized flies. Remember the slot limit, and keep big fish in the water for the release.

Saltwater Report · On The Water · Oct. 29, 2026

Long Island & NYC Fishing Report: Jumbo Bass and Bunker Blitzes

This week’s Long Island and NYC rundown. Big bass on live bunker from Queens and Brooklyn, 20 lb fish chasing squid in Northport Harbor, and a short-lived Montauk blitz on peanut bunker that gave fly anglers a shot with Albie Snax and Deceivers. Night surfcasters are doing best on metal lips and darters.

Saltwater Report · On The Water · Oct. 29, 2026

Connecticut Fishing Report: Bass of All Sizes in the Eastern Sound

Connecticut-side highlights: mostly 28–36 inch bass on topwater in the eastern Sound, peanut bunker everywhere, and schoolie blitzes inside the rivers. Albies and bonito are sparse. The report also notes that inland trout streams are low to moderate and fall trout fishing has been productive.

Fishing Report · On The Water · Oct. 29, 2026

Northern New Jersey Fishing Report: Big Stripers from Raritan Bay to Bay Head

Big bass are spread along the Jersey coast, with a Sandy Hook blitz this week and a strong live-eel bite in the Point Pleasant Canal. On the fresh side, a Paramus shop reports trout fishing has been excellent following the fall stocking.

Fishing Report · Compleat Angler (Darien, CT) · Oct. 23, 2026

Northeast Fishing Report: Housatonic, Farmington, Delaware & the Sound

A detailed rundown with fly lists for every river. Highlights: strong afternoon BWO hatches on the Housatonic, big stoneflies and yellow streamers moving large wild browns on the Farmington, #18–24 olives and rusty spinners on the lower West Branch of the Delaware, and recently stocked Mianus, Saugatuck and Mill rivers.

Fishing Report · Housatonic River Outfitters · Oct. 25, 2026

Housatonic River Report: BWOs, Flying Ants and Streamers for Holdover Browns

The Cornwall Bridge shop says the Housy is stocked and fish are feeding well on Blue-Winged Olives and flying ants. On slow days, they suggest big streamers for aggressive pre-spawn browns, plus Golden Stones, bead-head Pheasant Tails, eggs and Mop Flies under an indicator. Their kiosk at the Cornwall Market is open seven days a week.

Stocking · NJ Fish & Wildlife · Fall 2026

New Jersey Fall Trout Stocking Schedule

The official list of this fall’s stockings: about 29,000 two-year-old rainbows of 14–16 inches, plus up to 1,000 broodstock of 18–22 inches, spread across the Musconetcong, Paulins Kill, Big Flat Brook, Pequest, Rockaway, Raritan South Branch and Ramapo. Low water cancelled the Black River stocking and limited a few upper stretches.

Don’t Leave Home Without an Ant

Fall is ant season, and it catches a lot of anglers off guard. On a warm afternoon, especially the first sunny day after a cold snap or a little rain, winged ants take to the air to mate, and many of them end up on the water. Trout love them. Both Compleat Angler and Housatonic River Outfitters have flagged ants in their reports these past two weeks. You’ll often notice it when fish are rising steadily but refusing your olive. Look closely at the surface film for small, dark insects lying flat with clear wings. Carry a few #18–22 black or cinnamon parachute ants (a dab of bright post helps you see them), and fish them dead-drift right in the film. Ants float low, so a little floatant on the post only, not the body, keeps them riding right. Even when there’s no flight, a small ant is a great “searching” dry along grassy banks on a calm, sunny day.

Expected Hatches: October 31 – November 13, 2026

Blue-Winged Olives (#18–24) are the star of the show right now. Compleat Angler’s Oct. 23 report describes strong afternoon hatches on the Housatonic and olives from afternoon to dark on the Delaware’s lower West Branch. Calm, mild afternoons are best. This weekend’s sunshine may thin them out, but keep watching the slow water from about 1–4pm.

Flying ants (#18–24) are the sleeper. See this week’s tip, and keep a few in your box through mid-November.

Midges fill in every gap, especially on frosty mornings and in the back eddies. A #20–22 Griffith’s Gnat on top, or a #18–20 Zebra Midge underneath, is all you need.

Caddis are winding down. A few #16–18 tan caddis are still around on the Housatonic and Farmington, and the last Giant October Caddis can still show up on warm evenings. As the river cools, more of your fish will come on nymphs and streamers than on dries.

Both rivers have dropped steadily since last Saturday’s bump (the Beaverkill averaged ~502 CFS on Oct. 17) and are now right at their normal levels for this week: the Beaverkill’s median for Oct. 23–24 is about 220–270 CFS, the Willowemoc’s about 46 CFS. Clear, comfortable wading water. The bigger change is temperature: water readings have fallen from ~50°F on Monday to the mid 40s, and Saturday night may dip into the upper 20s. Trout get sluggish in water like that, so don’t bother until late morning, and expect the best action from about noon to 3pm once the sun has been on the riffles. Slow everything down: a #16–18 Pheasant Tail or Zebra Midge drifted along the bottom of the deeper runs, or a small olive Bugger crawled, not stripped, through the tailouts. Remember it’s catch-and-release, artificials only on most NY streams until March 31.

The East Branch has been the slowest to shed last week’s rain. It peaked around 190 CFS mid-month and has stepped down every day since, to roughly 95 CFS Friday morning. That’s still a bit above the ~70 CFS typical for late October, but it’s clear and very fishable, and a little extra water helps hide you from wary fish. Frost is likely both mornings (Saturday night’s low is around 32°F), so plan to arrive late morning. Nymph the heads of the pools with a #16 Frenchie and a #18–20 midge dropper, and keep a sculpin or small dark streamer handy for the deeper bends. With sun all weekend, the shaded edges will fish better than the bright flats.

Good news for Housy fans: the river has come all the way down from ~614 CFS on Monday to about 451 CFS Friday morning, which is right on its late-October median and well inside the comfortable 300–800 CFS wading range. Last week’s “running high” warning is off. Expect the coldest night in our coverage area on Saturday (around 27°F at Falls Village), so the water will be chilly early. Compleat Angler’s latest report has browns moving in as temperatures fall and recommends Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, Zebra Midges and #6–12 Krystal Buggers, plus big articulated streamers on a sinking line. The Bull’s Bridge and Cornwall TMAs were stocked in late September, so there’s a good mix of fish around.

The Raritan is in its usual fall shape. The North Branch is sitting right on its median, while the South Branch is running a little on the low side (about three-quarters of normal) and very clear. The stocked rainbows from mid-October have now had a week or two to settle in, and On The Water’s Oct. 22 Northern NJ report says shops are seeing good trout fishing on freshly stocked waters. Clear, lowish water means longer leaders and lighter tippet (6X isn’t overkill on the South Branch), and fish the riffles and pocket water where the surface chop hides your line. This will be the warmest corner of our region, with Sunday reaching the mid 60s. Two-trout, 9-inch limit on fall-stocked waters.

The fall run is changing gears. On The Water’s Oct. 22 Long Island report says Montauk’s albie blitzes have been smaller than usual, but fly anglers blind-casting larger flies (pink Kinky Muddlers and Albie Snax) are still connecting, including one 30-fish day. On the Connecticut side, albies are scarce while schoolie-to-slot stripers are blitzing on peanut bunker in the western Sound. The size of the bass is the headline: Oakdale boats are reporting plenty of 40-inch-plus fish, and the Jersey surf gave up 45- to 48-inch stripers this week. After the nor’easter that kept most Jersey boats in port this week, light winds this weekend should make for pleasant fly casting. Bring a 9- or 10-weight and your biggest bunker patterns.

Saltwater Report · On The Water · Oct. 22, 2026

Long Island & NYC Fishing Report: Smaller Albie Blitzes, Big Bass Around

This week’s Long Island and NYC rundown. Montauk albies are holding but in smaller, pickier schools, with specific fly patterns that are still working. Stripers are spotty along the South Shore, but the fish being found are big. Blackfish are also biting well in the NY Bight and around Northport.

Saltwater Report · On The Water · Oct. 22, 2026

Connecticut Fishing Report: Stripers Blitzing on Peanuts to the West

Connecticut-side highlights for Sound anglers. Schoolie-to-slot bass are busting small bait in the western Sound, bigger fish are holding on structure, and albies and bonito have become hard to find. The report also notes that fall trout results have been solid on inland streams.

Fishing Report · On The Water · Oct. 22, 2026

Northern New Jersey Fishing Report: Stocked Trout Settle In, Giant Surf Bass

Freshwater and salt in one read. North Jersey shops say trout fishing has been good since the fall stocking as the fish have settled in, and the surf is producing a few very large stripers, including 45- to 48-inchers at Brielle and Sea Bright.

Stocking · CT DEEP Fisheries · Updated Oct. 21, 2026

Connecticut Fall 2026 Trout & Salmon Stocking Report

The state’s running list of fall stockings. DEEP plans more than 60,000 trout (over half larger than 12 inches) and 2,000-plus Atlantic salmon this fall. Recent highlights include the Mill River TMAs in Fairfield and Hamden, the Saugatuck fly-only TMA, the Naugatuck (with salmon), and weekly trout park stockings. Stocking runs on weekdays, and new dates are added as they happen.

Fishing Report · Compleat Angler (Darien, CT) · Oct. 16, 2026

Northeast Fishing Report: Housatonic, Farmington, Delaware & the Sound

Still the newest from Compleat Angler and still worth a look for its fly lists. Highlights include Housatonic stocking notes and patterns, a full Farmington hatch chart (BWOs, caddis, Isonychia and October Caddis), Delaware release info, and Long Island Sound tactics. Watch for this week’s update.

Cold Water? Go Low and Slow

When water temperatures drop below about 48°F, a trout’s metabolism slows down. It won’t move far for a meal, and it sits in slower, deeper water where it doesn’t have to fight the current. That changes how you fish. Get your fly to the bottom: add a split shot or switch to a heavier tungsten bead, and set your indicator at roughly one and a half times the water depth. Slow down: target the soft, walking-pace seams and the deep middle of pools rather than fast riffles. And be patient with your timing: water temps peak in mid-to-late afternoon, so the hour before the sun drops behind the ridge is often the best of the day. If you’re using streamers, try a slow crawl with long pauses instead of a fast strip. A cold fish will rarely chase, but it will eat something that drifts right past its nose.

Expected Hatches: October 24 – November 6, 2026

Midges are the main event as the water cools. Look for clusters on the surface in calm back eddies from late morning through mid-afternoon. A #20–22 Griffith’s Gnat on top, or a #20 Zebra Midge or black thread midge under a small indicator, covers almost every situation.

Blue-Winged Olives (#18–24) are still around, but this weekend’s bright, bluebird skies will keep them sparse. If a cloudy afternoon does turn up in the coming days, be ready, because those are the days olives hatch best. Compleat Angler’s Oct. 16 report still lists them on both the Farmington and the Delaware system.

October Caddis and Isonychia are near the end of their run. A #12 Isonychia nymph or a #8–10 orange caddis pupa can still move a fish on the Farmington and the bigger Catskill rivers in the afternoon, but don’t count on them for much longer.

Eggs aren’t a hatch, but with brown trout spawning they’re one of the most important foods in the river right now. Drift a #14–16 egg pattern in the deeper water downstream of the gravel. Please give the spawning beds themselves a wide berth.

The Beaverkill is running a little above its late-October norm (~200–270 CFS) after Friday’s rain, and it’s falling and clearing nicely. That’s about as good as fall water gets here. Water temps near 50°F keep trout active, but frosty nights in the low 30s mean the bite won’t really start until the sun is on the water, so 10am–3pm is your window. Swing or strip a #8–10 olive or black Woolly Bugger through the tailouts. Pre-spawn browns are aggressive and territorial right now. Under an indicator, a #14–16 Pheasant Tail or Frenchie with a #18 midge dropper is the reliable choice. Heads up: NY’s statewide catch-and-release, artificial-only season began October 16 and runs through March 31.

The East Branch is still carrying some of last week’s rain. It’s well above its typical ~70 CFS for this time of year, but it’s down from ~190 CFS mid-week and should be closer to normal by Saturday with no rain in the forecast. The extra water is good news for streamer anglers: a little push and color give the fish confidence. Work the deeper runs with a sculpin pattern or a #10 Bugger, then switch to small nymphs (#16–18 Pheasant Tail, #18 Zebra Midge) as the water clears. This is the closest quality trout water to the city, and with weather like this it’ll be busy. An early-afternoon arrival on Sunday is a good bet.

The Housy rose sharply after Friday’s rain and was still sitting around 610 CFS on Monday afternoon, which is pushy for wading. The good news is there’s a full dry week ahead, so expect flows to keep falling toward the 400–500 CFS range by the weekend. That’s very fishable if you pick your spots. Recent stockings below Bull’s Bridge and above the covered bridge in Cornwall add to the appeal, and Compleat Angler reports browns moving in as the water cools. Streamers on a sink-tip are the play in the higher water. Mop flies, Squirmy Worms and #14–18 caddis larvae also work. Check the gauge Friday night before you commit to the drive.

This is the freshly stocked pick of the weekend. NJ Fish & Wildlife’s fall program put roughly 1,280 rainbows in the North Branch and more than 2,000 in the South Branch and Ken Lockwood Gorge last week, and some of the trucks carried 4–6 lb broodstock. Flows are right around normal for late October (the South Branch typically runs ~110 CFS), and the weekend will be the warmest in the region, with Sunday reaching the mid 60s. Freshly stocked fish love a small Woolly Bugger, a #12 Mop Fly or an egg pattern. After a few days in the river they’ll start taking #16 Pheasant Tails and Hare’s Ears like wild fish. Note the 2-trout, 9-inch minimum limit on fall-stocked waters, and handle those big breeders gently if you release them.

If you own a 9-weight, this is the weekend to use it. On The Water’s Oct. 15 report has false albacore still blitzing close to shore on both forks, and a Montauk captain is posting multiple 30-plus-fish days on small flies, Kinky Muddlers and epoxy baitfish. Along the South Shore, from Brooklyn out to Freeport, stripers are blowing up on thick bunker schools. On the Connecticut side, Compleat Angler says bass are eating peanut bunker and silversides around the islands on moving tides. Hollow flies, Deceivers and Clousers are all working. Calm, sunny weather like this week’s can stretch the run well into November.

Fishing Report · Compleat Angler (Darien, CT) · Oct. 16, 2026

Northeast Fishing Report: Housatonic, Farmington, Delaware & the Sound

This is the most useful weekly read in the region. It covers stocking updates and a complete fly list for the Housatonic, a section-by-section breakdown of the Farmington (“very fishable” from Riverton to Unionville, with BWOs, October Caddis and Isonychia), Cannonsville release info for the Delaware, and saltwater tactics for the Sound, including a smart “bait and switch” tip for wary fall bass.

Saltwater Report · On The Water · Oct. 15, 2026

Long Island & NYC Fishing Report: Albies Holding, South Shore Bass Blitzing

A rundown of the fall run from Brooklyn to Montauk. False albacore are still close to shore in low-to-mid 60s water, stripers are blitzing on bunker along the South Shore, and Long Island Sound is heating up. Includes specific fly patterns that are working at Montauk.

Stocking · The Fisherman · October 2026

NJ Trout Palooza: Fall ’26 Stock Report

Tom Pagliaroli’s water-by-water guide to New Jersey’s fall program: about 29,000 rainbows across 63 waters, including roughly 1,000 three-year-old breeders weighing 4–6 lbs. It also covers this year’s changes. The November winter stocking was folded into the fall program, the daily limit dropped to two fish, and the Black River and upper Big Flat Brook were skipped due to low water.

Official Schedule · NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife

Fall Trout Stocking Schedule 2026

The official day-by-day list of what was stocked and where, running through October 22. There are no closed periods during fall stocking, so waters are open to fishing as soon as the truck pulls away. Bookmark it if you fish the Raritan, Musconetcong or Pequest.

Regulations · NYSDEC

Reminder: New York’s Catch-and-Release Trout Season Is Now Open

Since October 16, most New York trout streams are catch-and-release with artificial lures only, through March 31. That includes the Catskill rivers and the Croton tributaries. Some special-regulation waters have their own rules, so check the specific stream before you go.

Watch Your Step: It’s Spawning Season

Late October is when brown and brook trout build their redds, the shallow gravel nests where the next generation of wild fish begins. A redd looks like a clean, light-colored oval patch of gravel, often at the tail of a pool or in a shallow riffle, sometimes with fish hovering over it. Please don’t wade through them, and don’t cast to fish sitting on them. One careless step can crush thousands of eggs. Instead, fish the deeper water just downstream of spawning areas, where other trout stack up to eat drifting eggs. A #14–16 egg pattern dead-drifted through that slot is deadly, and you’ll be helping the river at the same time.

Expected Hatches: October 19–31, 2026

Blue-Winged Olives are the headline bug of late fall, but they love gray, drizzly days, and we won’t see one this week. Expect sparse, short emergences in the early afternoon. Carry #18–22 Parachute BWOs and CDC emergers anyway, and look for them on slower flats where the sun is off the water.

Midges are the most dependable surface food on every river we cover, especially on bright, calm afternoons like the ones forecast. A #20–22 Griffith’s Gnat or a midge-pupa dropper under a small dry will cover it.

October Caddis and late Isonychia are still showing on the Farmington and the larger Catskill rivers, but they’re tapering off. A #8–10 orange stimulator or a #12 Isonychia nymph is a good searching rig in the afternoon.

Looking ahead: once the leaves are fully down and water temps slip into the low 40s, we shift into winter mode with smaller nymphs, slower drifts and the warmest hours of the day. Until then, enjoy what may be the best weekend of fall fishing we get this year.