Spate · Mixed · New Brunswick / Québec border

Restigouche

A large steel truss bridge spanning the wide Restigouche River at sunset, with mountains in the background.

The Restigouche is eastern Canada's prestige salmon river — big water, big fish, and a storied private-lodge culture going back 150 years.

Poor · Atlantic Salmon
Silver Rat · sizes 2 8
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.95 m
  • Water temp21.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Silver Rat
Silver Ratsizes 2 8
River-specific pack, filled from the regional salmon default.
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.95 m
Water temp21.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather20°C
WindW 9 km/h
Pressure1017 hPa
Rain · recent2.2 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

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

Water temperature for Atlantic Salmon
Warm — slow
21°C est.ideal 10–14°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.
Why this works
Water at 21.1°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills atlantic salmon. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 9pm

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 5 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 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
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
2

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

Ranked for today
Atlantic Salmon fly box
Beats · 4 · 2 reaches

The Restigouche is a prestige river with a private-lease culture going back 150 years, and access is the hard part: the great majority of the main stem is held under private lease, lodge water and long-standing camp holdings rather than open public water. Unlike the Miramichi, there is no proven walk-in public-pool route on the main stem — public access here is unconfirmed and should be treated as on hold until verified locally, not assumed. It is also a cross-provincial river, with New Brunswick and Québec running separate licence and access models on opposite banks and on the tributaries, and the system carries the same barbless artificial fly, catch-and-release and warm-water rules as the rest of the Gulf Region. These zones describe the private-lease reality and lodge context honestly — the booking route for most anglers is a lodge package, not a day ticket, and big-fish prestige should never be read as easy access.

Restigouche main stem · 3 beatsMixed
Main stem — private lease & lodge water, Restigouche River Lodge & guided water, Public main-stem access (unproven)
The 3 beats
Main stem — private lease & lodge waterPrivate
Private leases, lodges and camps (NB / Québec)
Most of the Restigouche main stem is private — long-held leases, lodge water and camp holdings that control the famous big-fish pools. For the visiting angler this means access comes through a lodge or lease arrangement, not a public permit. Multi-sea-winter fish of 7–12 kg are the draw, but the water itself is not openly bookable.
Barbless artificial fly only; catch-and-release for large salmon under 2026 DFO Gulf Region rules; grilse retention varies. Cross-provincial NB/Québec rules apply by bank — confirm which province's rules govern your beat. Warm-water protocol applies in summer.
Restigouche River Lodge & guided waterGuide / lodge
Restigouche River Lodge (and similar lodges)
Lodges such as Restigouche River Lodge offer guide-hosted access to private pools as part of an accommodation package — the realistic route onto prime main-stem water for a visiting angler. Listed as context: this is guest-only, guided, package-booked water, not a public beat.
Barbless artificial fly only; catch-and-release ethos; guide-hosted. Book directly with the lodge. Not a public-access route.
Public main-stem access (unproven)Members-only
Unconfirmed
Unlike the Miramichi, there is no proven walk-in public-pool access on the Restigouche main stem. Recreation access for canoeing or camping is not the same as salmon-fishing access. This zone exists only so anglers know not to expect public main-stem fishing here until it is verified through official New Brunswick or Québec sources.
Public main-stem salmon access is unproven — do not treat as bookable. Canoe/camping access is separate from fishing access. Verify against official NB Crown and Québec sources before assuming any public route.
Tributaries — ZEC & sector accessPublic
The Restigouche connects to the Québec sector system through tributaries — the Matapédia, managed by CGRMP, offers genuine access-right public-sector water that some anglers reach as part of a wider Restigouche-system trip.
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Check local provincial/national regulations.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 21°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. A large steel truss bridge spanning the wide Restigouche River at sunset, with mountains in the background.
    J. C. Van Horne Bridge
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The Restigouche is eastern Canada's prestige salmon river — big water, big fish, and a storied private-lodge culture going back 150 years. Multi-sea-winter salmon averaging 7–12 kg with fish over 15 kg not uncommon. Tributaries (Kedgwick, Upsalquitch, Patapédia) provide varied water. Traditional wet-fly and dry-fly fishing; Silver Rat, Green Highlander, and Rusty Rat are mainstay patterns. Access primarily through private lodges and Crown water leases. NB/QC border river — dual provincial regulation. 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
The full read · show the working · for Atlantic Salmon · confidence 90%
How the river scores — hydrology factors
Water heightMedium Ideal0.0
Recent riseNone0.0
Falling after liftNot Applicable0.0
Water temperatureCool To Moderate0.0
Time in seasonOpening Period0.0
ClarityClearing0.0
Hydrology base0.0
Legal gate: Unknown Check Local Rules
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
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.

Related guides
Atlantic Salmonsalmon tacticsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts