Housatonic River Fishing Report – Kent, CT – July 16, 2026
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Updated Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 5:00 PM · Housatonic River at Kent / Falls Village, CT
Conditions at a glance
| Reading | Now | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flow | 263 cfs | ▼ falling (-19% vs yesterday) |
| Gauge height | 2.06 ft | flood reference: 7 ft |
| Barometer | 991 hPa | ▼ falling (-1.7 hPa/6h) |
| Sky | 10% | daytime cloud cover — clear |
| Water temp | ⚠ warm | no nearby live gauge — see advisory below |
| Condition | Ideal Wading | clarity not gauged here |
USGS 01199000 (Housatonic River at Falls Village, CT) · observed Jul 16, 4:15 PM · pressure & sky via Open-Meteo
Today's call
Good wading flow — cross with care and cover the riffles and pocket water. The river's dropping back into shape after a bump — fish tend to settle and feed hard on falling, clearing water, so this is a window worth catching. A warm breeze is knocking hoppers, ants, and beetles onto the water — fish a foam terrestrial tight to the grassy banks and overhanging cover. Mornings are your trout window; smallmouth are the better afternoon bet.
Best windows: First light around 5:32 a.m., last light near 8:26 p.m. — the low-light edges are prime. Golden Drake is the bug to watch — dusk and after dark. · Waxing Crescent (3% lit)
Solunar: Majors (peak feeding): 1:51–3:51 a.m., 2:10–4:10 p.m. Minors: 7:34–8:34 a.m., 9:35–10:35 p.m.
🌡 Hot spell: with air temps near 82°F the river likely climbs past 68°F by afternoon. Trout get stressed above that — fish early, carry a thermometer, and switch to smallmouth or carp when it's warm.
Weather on the water
- This Afternoon: 82°F, Smoke (wind 10 mph NW · precip 0%)
- Tonight: 55°F, Smoke (wind 0 to 9 mph NW · precip 0%)
Planning a trip? The next few days:
- Friday: 82°F, Sunny (wind 0 to 5 mph NW · precip 0%)
- Saturday: 82°F, Showers And Thunderstorms (wind 0 to 9 mph S · precip 80%)
- Sunday: 80°F, Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny (wind 5 to 8 mph NW · precip 22%)
- Monday: 81°F, Sunny (wind 0 to 3 mph W · precip 1%)
What's hatching now
| Insect | Size | Try these |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Drake (Anthopotamus) Dusk and after dark |
#10-12 | Golden Drake Spinner #10-12, Cream Variant #10 |
| Terrestrials (hoppers, beetles, ants) Midday along grassy banks |
#10-18 | Foam Hopper #10-12, Foam Beetle #14-16, Parachute Ant #16 |
| Tan & Green Caddis (Hydropsyche / Rhyacophila) Evenings; fish the soft water behind rocks |
#14-18 | Tan Elk Hair Caddis #16, Green Rockworm #14, LaFontaine Sparkle Pupa #16 |
| Trico (Tricorythodes) Early morning spinner falls |
#22-26 | Trico Spinner #22-24, CDC Trico Dun #24 |
| Light Cahill (Stenacron / Stenonema) Evening into dark |
#12-16 | Light Cahill Catskill #14, Cahill Comparadun #14-16 |
From our shop hatch calendar — stop in for what’s working this week.
Spin fishing — what to throw
Good flow for covering water — fan 1/8–1/4 oz inline spinners and small spoons through the riffles, runs, and pocket water; cast across and let the current swing them through the seams. The barometer's dropping ahead of a front — fish turn aggressive, so pick up the pace and trigger reaction strikes while the window's open. Bright sun pins fish tight to shade and structure — pick those spots apart, and your best shots come in the first and last hour of light.
Species: Trout are the main target on spinning gear. On hot afternoons, give the trout a rest and chase smallmouth instead — tubes, Ned rigs, and small swimbaits through the rocky runs, with topwater at first and last light. Carp tailing the slow flats are fair game too and pull hard on light line.
| Lure | Size | Colors & when |
|---|---|---|
| Inline spinners Mepps Aglia, Panther Martin, Rooster Tail |
1/16–1/4 oz (#0–#3) | silver/gold blade, natural or black-fur bodies; brighter in stain The workhorse for trout in moving water — riffles, runs, and pocket water. |
| Casting spoons Acme Little Cleo, Kastmaster, Phoebe |
1/12–3/8 oz | silver/gold; hammered or painted (chartreuse, firetiger) when water's up Cover water and reach deeper or faster flows; great flash for stained water. |
| Soft plastics & jigs Trout Magnet, small paddle-tails, tubes, Ned rigs |
1.5–3 in on 1/32–1/8 oz heads | natural/translucent in clear water, darker or chartreuse in stain Finesse for low, clear water and pressured stocked trout; also the go-to for smallmouth. |
| Jerkbaits & stickbaits Rapala Original & Countdown, small suspending jerkbaits |
2–4 in | silver/black or rainbow-trout in clear; gold or firetiger in stain Match baitfish for bigger trout and smallmouth; shines in higher, stained water. |
| Micro jig under a float Trout Magnet / micro jig below a casting bubble or float |
1/64–1/32 oz | pink, white, olive Dead-drift for stocked and clear-water trout when they won't chase. |
Our standard Housatonic spin box — stop in and we’ll match it to today’s water.
Much of the Housatonic is open to spin fishing with artificial lures. The marked Trout Management Areas — the long TMA between Falls Village and Cornwall Bridge, and the Bulls Bridge TMA at Kent — are year-round catch-and-release, artificial lures and flies only, single barbless hooks: spinning gear is welcome there as long as you pinch your barbs and release fish quickly. Other stretches allow bait and trout harvest in season. Regulations change year to year — check the current CT DEEP Angler's Guide or stop in and ask us before you fish.
Stocking
- Housatonic River Bulls Bridge TMA (Kent, New Milford) — last stocked 86 days ago (April 21)
- Housatonic River TMA (Salisbury, Canaan, Cornwall, Sharon) — last stocked 87 days ago (April 20)
Stocking is between seasons right now; dates above are from the most recent round.
Data: USGS 01199000 · CT DEEP trout stocking · National Weather Service. This page refreshes automatically each morning. Conditions change fast — use your judgment on the water.