Tailwater · Mixed · New Hampshire

Androscoggin River — Errol

Androscoggin River — Errol terrain map
Terrain map

The Androscoggin below Errol Dam is northern New Hampshire's big-river trout and salmon water — a wide, cold, dam-influenced freestone running out of Umbagog through the Thirteen Mile Woods, holding native brook trout, landlocked salmon, and browns and rainbows in fast, broken, wadeable water.

Species

A proper day on the water

Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for brook trout
Cool — slow
9°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for brook trout
  • Temperature8528% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure757% weight
  • Insect activity6312% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
9.0°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
19°C
Wind
NW 10 km/h
Light breeze
Pressure
1019 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Rain · ahead
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

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
Good — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Pale Morning DunHatch
2
3
3
2

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

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • NH Androscoggin below Errol Dam — verify exact reach open-water dates, tackle and bag/length rules against NH Fish & Game
  • Dam-influenced flow
  • CONSERVATION: native brook trout are heat-sensitive — careful handling and summer thermal restraint.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

The Androscoggin below Errol Dam is northern New Hampshire's big-river trout and salmon water — a wide, cold, dam-influenced freestone running out of Umbagog through the Thirteen Mile Woods, holding native brook trout, landlocked salmon, and browns and rainbows in fast, broken, wadeable water. The dam at Errol steadies the top of the river and keeps it cool, and the salmon move up through the rips chasing smelt while the brookies and rainbows hold in the pockets and seams. It's a float-and-wade river in moose-and-loon country, fished with streamers and big attractor dries, less technical than the southern tailwaters but every bit as cold and serious about its fish. A strong northern New Hampshire route into the pack that keeps the salmon-and-brook-trout identity on honest dam-influenced freestone water.

  • Mixed
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Other water nearby · 3