Tailwater · Mixed · New Hampshire, US

Connecticut Lakes / Upper Connecticut River

Wide view across Lake Francis, a reservoir on the upper Connecticut River, with forested hills and mountains in the background, Pittsburg, New Hampshire
Poor · Rainbow Trout
Blue Winged Olive · 18-22
Closed season
Out of season. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Level1.17 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp8.0°C
  • ClarityVery colouredColouring up
Today's fly
Blue Winged Olive
Blue Winged Olive18-22
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.17 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp8.0°C
ClarityVery coloured
Weather1°C
WindNW 21 km/h
Pressure1014 hPa
Rain · recent15.6 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

Live readings only. Trends shown where the gauge supports them.

Water temperature for Rainbow Trout
Cool — slow
8.0°Cideal 10–18°C
0°14°28°

A dam sets this river's temperature, not the weather, so it can shift several degrees within hours when the release changes. Measured 17 km from the gauge. It also warms as it runs away from the dam.

How to fish it · for Rainbow Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Likely species
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 4 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 as a supporter.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
1
SulphurHatch
2
3
2
Trico (Eastern)Hatch
2
3
3
2
Eastern Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Eastern Summer BWO (Drunella)Hatch
2
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Fly box · Rainbow Trout
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • NH salmon season opens 1 April on managed waters; the Upper Connecticut reaches carry water-specific rules — verify exact Connecticut Lakes / Upper Connecticut rules against NH Fish & Game
  • Northern access and weather are factors.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Fishing better nearby · 3
Androscoggin River — Errol
36 km
82
Brook trout · Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Magalloway River
25 km
Brook trout
Rapid River / Rangeley region
43 km
Brook trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Wide view across Lake Francis, a reservoir on the upper Connecticut River, with forested hills and mountains in the background, Pittsburg, New Hampshire
    Lake Francis on the Connecticut River, Pittsburg, New Hampshire
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Not assessed
  • Fish consumption: Impaired
What this classification means

Fish consumption: Consumption advisory (Mercury) — fish for sport, not the table.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'FIRST CONNECTICUT LAKE' (NHLAK801010102-02), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Insufficient Information. Listed impairment causes: Mercury. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · NHLAK801010102-02

The full read · show the working · for Rainbow Trout · confidence 75%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature65 × 28%18.2
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity45 × 18%8.1
Feeding Time65 × 13%8.5
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity53 × 12%6.4
Conditions total= 64
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Warmer water — toward the 10–18 °C ideal band — would lift the temperature score.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April → 30 September
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts