Housatonic River Fishing Report – Kent, CT – August 8, 2026
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Updated Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 5:00 PM · Housatonic River at Kent / Falls Village, CT
Conditions at a glance
| Reading | Now | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flow | 655 cfs | ▼ falling (-28% vs yesterday) |
| Gauge height | 2.80 ft | flood reference: 7 ft |
| Barometer | 995 hPa | ▼ falling (-2.1 hPa/6h) |
| Sky | 66% | daytime cloud cover — mixed sun |
| 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 Aug 8, 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. Mornings are your trout window; smallmouth are the better afternoon bet.
Best windows: First light around 5:54 a.m., last light near 8:03 p.m. — the low-light edges are prime. Trico is the bug to watch — early morning spinner falls. · Waning Crescent (24% lit)
Solunar: Majors (peak feeding): 7:53–9:53 a.m., 8:26–10:26 p.m. Minors: 12:11–1:11 a.m., 4:38–5:38 p.m.
🌡 Hot spell: with air temps near 87°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: 87°F, Showers And Thunderstorms Likely (wind 5 mph SW · precip 57%)
- Tonight: 66°F, Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Clear (wind 0 to 3 mph SW · precip 40%)
Planning a trip? The next few days:
- Sunday: 86°F, Patchy Fog then Sunny (wind 0 to 5 mph W · precip 3%)
- Monday: 86°F, Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms (wind 0 to 5 mph W · precip 32%)
- Tuesday: 83°F, Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms (wind 0 to 5 mph W · precip 22%)
- Wednesday: 81°F, Mostly Sunny (wind 0 to 3 mph NW · precip 14%)
What's hatching now
| Insect | Size | Try these |
|---|---|---|
| Trico (Tricorythodes) Early morning spinner falls |
#22-26 | Trico Spinner #22-24, CDC Trico Dun #24 |
| Terrestrials (hoppers, beetles, ants) Midday along grassy banks |
#10-18 | Foam Hopper #10-12, Foam Beetle #14-16, Parachute Ant #16 |
| White Fly (Ephoron leukon) Dusk, heavy short-lived blizzard hatches |
#12-14 | White Wulff #12-14, White Comparadun #14 |
| Golden Drake (Anthopotamus) Dusk and after dark |
#10-12 | Golden Drake Spinner #10-12, Cream Variant #10 |
| Isonychia (Slate Drake) Late afternoon and evening; nymphs migrate to slow shallows |
#10-12 | Isonychia Parachute #12, Zug Bug #10-12, Leadwing Coachman #12 |
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.
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 109 days ago (April 21)
- Housatonic River TMA (Salisbury, Canaan, Cornwall, Sharon) — last stocked 110 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.