Spate · Mixed · New Brunswick (Restigouche system), CA

Little Main Restigouche

Little Main Restigouche terrain map

The Little Main Restigouche joins the main Restigouche well upstream, adding its flow in the remote upper watershed before the combined river builds into one of the great salmon rivers of eastern Canada.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Green Machine · small to medium single sizes 4 12
Closed season
Out of season. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Level0.67 mLast reading 3h ago
  • Water temp6.2°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Green Machine
Green Machinesmall to medium single sizes 4 12
Regional salmon default — river-specific evidence is thin.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.67 m
Last reading 3h ago
Water temp6.2°C
ClarityClear
Weather5°C
WindN 19 km/h
Pressure1028 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

The nearest gauge is at Restigouche River above Rafting Ground Brook. It doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Cool — slow
6°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Atlantic Salmon
When
Morning into early afternoon.
Where
Pool tails, steadier runs, and any water with pace.
Method
Fish a sensible line-and-fly combination for the height and pace of water.
Kit
13 ft #8/9 double-hander in spate, 10 ft #8 single in low water. Floating line plus a fast-sink tip. 12–15 lb fluoro tippet.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 10am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

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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
Salmon runRun
1
2
2
1
Early Black StoneflyHatch
2
3
2
Eastern Golden StoneHatch
2
2
Slate Drake / IsonychiaHatch
2
3
3
3
3
2
Yellow SallyHatch
2
3
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Provincial licence + Crown daily permit.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
About this water

The Little Main Restigouche joins the main Restigouche well upstream, adding its flow in the remote upper watershed before the combined river builds into one of the great salmon rivers of eastern Canada. Modest water by Restigouche standards — accessible wading, clear pools, the kind of river that suits a single angler and a week's patient attention. Summer grilse are reliable through July and August; the river sees fewer rods than the main stem and the fish behave accordingly. Atlantic salmon are managed under DFO conservation rules — mandatory catch-and-release of large (multi-sea-winter) salmon applies in most areas, with any grilse retention strictly limited by zone; check current regulations before fishing.

  • Mixed
Why this score · for Atlantic Salmon
  • Temperature2230% weight
  • Flow6025% weight
  • Clarity9520% weight
  • Feeding Time10015% weight
  • Pressure8510% weight
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Salmon 1 June → 30 September
  • Brook trout 15 April → 15 September

    New Brunswick brook trout (speckled trout) general season April 15 – September 15. This is primarily an Atlantic salmon river — brook trout are a secondary quarry, present throughout, especially in smaller tributaries and headwaters. NB fishing licence required. Check current NB Inland Fisheries regulations for zone-specific dates and limits.

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Booking & contacts