Tailwater · Mixed · New Hampshire

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
Prime · Brook Trout
Slate Drake · 10-14
Primelive now
About as good as it gets
River steady at a fishable height. On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.84 mLast reading 12h ago
  • Water temp13.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
SD
Slate Drake10-14
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.84 m
Last reading 12h ago
Water temp13.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather17°C
WindSE 20 km/h
Pressure1004 hPa
Rain · recent1.7 mm
Rain · ahead1.6 mm

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

Water temperature for Brook Trout
Ideal
13.1°Cideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brook 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.
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 3 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July 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
Brook Trout fly box
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
Other water nearby · 3
Magalloway River
25 km
Brook trout
Androscoggin River — Errol
36 km
Brook trout · Rainbow trout · Brown 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 Brook Trout · confidence 90%
How the 84 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time70 × 13%9.1
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity58 × 12%7.0
Conditions total= 84
Can you trust it?
Water temperaturelive gauge readinggauge
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 April → 30 September
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts