Housatonic River Fishing Report – Kent, CT – July 18, 2026
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Updated Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 5:00 PM · Housatonic River at Kent / Falls Village, CT
Conditions at a glance
| Reading | Now | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flow | 240 cfs | ▬ steady (-4% vs yesterday) |
| Gauge height | 2.00 ft | flood reference: 7 ft |
| Barometer | 987 hPa | ▼ falling (-5.5 hPa/6h) |
| Sky | 78% | daytime cloud cover — overcast |
| Water temp | — | no nearby live gauge; watch for 68°F+ on hot afternoons |
| Condition | Ideal Wading | clarity not gauged here |
USGS 01199000 (Housatonic River at Falls Village, CT) · observed Jul 18, 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 barometer's sliding ahead of a system — fish often switch on right before a front, so the next few hours could be the best of the day. Overcast skies keep fish looking up and roaming — a strong dry-fly day, and a good time to swing streamers through the runs; don't wait for the sun.
Best windows: First light around 5:34 a.m., last light near 8:25 p.m. — the low-light edges are prime. Golden Drake is the bug to watch — dusk and after dark. · Waxing Crescent (15% lit)
Solunar: Majors (peak feeding): 3:28–5:28 a.m., 3:43–5:43 p.m. Minors: 10:00–11:00 a.m., 10:20–11:20 p.m. The major that lines up with first light is the one to be on the water for.
Weather on the water
- This Afternoon: 79°F, Patchy Smoke (wind 8 mph S · precip 56%)
- Tonight: 60°F, Patchy Smoke then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms (wind 2 to 8 mph SW · precip 77%)
Planning a trip? The next few days:
- Sunday: 76°F, Sunny (wind 8 mph NW · precip 1%)
- Monday: 80°F, Sunny (wind 0 to 3 mph W · precip 0%)
- Tuesday: 80°F, Showers And Thunderstorms Likely (wind 1 to 8 mph SE · precip 66%)
- Wednesday: 80°F, Showers And Thunderstorms (wind 7 mph SW · precip 81%)
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 |
| Trico (Tricorythodes) Early morning spinner falls |
#22-26 | Trico Spinner #22-24, CDC Trico Dun #24 |
| 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 |
| 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. Overcast skies have fish roaming and willing to chase — work the open runs and keep at it right through the day, not just the low-light edges.
Species: Trout are the main target on spinning gear. Smallmouth are active in the warmer water — work tubes, jerkbaits, and swimbaits through the faster rocky runs. Carp on the slow flats, plus the odd pickerel or fallfish, round out the warmwater options.
| 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 88 days ago (April 21)
- Housatonic River TMA (Salisbury, Canaan, Cornwall, Sharon) — last stocked 89 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.