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| Read the fine print, pal! |
Every year, newcomers to Connecticut’s broodstock Atlantic salmon fishery ask me about my favorite time of year to fish. Usually, this question comes from anglers looking to book a day of guided fishing on the lower Naugatuck River. I type/email this info all time, so I might as well do it here one final time and send the link when asked this question in the future.
Really, there is no “best” time. There are times I prefer more than others, but I have had good fishing in every month from September to April, depending on conditions in a given year. There are pros and cons for every month/time period and I will do my best to outline them here.
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| First salmon of last season Sept 26, 2023 - dry fly! |
September & October
Most years, the first salmon stocking happens in early October. That said, I can recall two seasons when conditions made a late September stocking possible (2013 and 2022). September of 2013 was great because hardly anyone knew it happened (it was before Facebook and email updates). I had the place pretty much to myself for two warm weeks and I caught a ton of fish. Last season didn’t see heavy angling pressure in September but, for better or for worse, social media prevented me from having a repeat of September 2013. No biggie…there are enough fish for everyone.
Early season PROs:
• Warm water temps keep the fish active, aggressive, and fighting harder
• Barren (unspawned) salmon are more common early in the season. They usually fight with the most intensity
- Fishing is more “multi dimensional” - Dry flies, hitched flies/tubes, wet flies, deeply fished flies, etc. are all viable techniques at this time, which makes fishing much more interesting
- The fish are less susceptible to the ill effects of angling pressure early in the season
- The fishing day is longer and the temperature is at its most comfortable
Early season CONs:
- We’re fishing over fewer salmon compared to later in the year
- Early season salmon are rarely large (average size measured in inches, not pounds)
- The “bite window” is often less predictable than it is later in the season (when the water is cold)
- A longer bite window can easily become a situation where more time on the water is needed to hook up, leading to some long and fatiguing sessions
- The water can be low, making fly presentation (and solid hooksets) tricky
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| Brusiser browns can be a welcome bycatch in November |
November
November is the least predictable autumn month. It’s thirty days of highs and lows. I have probably caught more broodstock salmon in November than in any other month. Year in and year out, it’s the most consistent month. That said, I’ve seen brutal cold fronts and/or storms shut down fishing in November for a week or two at a time. It’s a crapshoot, but I think the odds of having a good November fishing are better overall than having a bad November, especially in the first half of the month. You never really know.
November PROs:
- More and bigger salmon in the river
- Though it’s getting colder, most of the month doesn’t yet require coldwater tactics and the fish are still fairly active
- Overcast/rainy days seem to be more common, which can improve the fishing
- Low water is usually (but not always) less of an issue
- The fish have had time to spread out, often times moving into less pressured areas
- Every once in a while, you can catch some fairly large spawning run brown trout in November
November CONs:
- LEAVES IN THE WATER - hands down, this is the worst part of November (can happen in October some years). It doesn’t necessarily mean bad fishing, but it gets really annoying unless you get a lot of action (it happens sometimes, but don’t count on it)
- Unpredictable weather can make planning a November trip risky, especially late in the month
- We lose an hour of daylight in early November
- Salmon will still take a fly just under the surface, but usually won’t take one on the surface like they might in September and October
- Salmon who remain in popular pools have seen a lot of angling pressure by now
- The weather can be raw at times
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| The last fish of last year, caught on New Year's Eve |
December
The final salmon stocking typically happens at the beginning of December. Some of the remaining fish can be quite large. The catch and release season ends mid-month, with one salmon per day being legal from December 16 onwards. For those who want to target large (but not necessarily plentiful) salmon, December is the best month in which to do it. An unusually warm stretch of weather in December can sometimes make for the most reliable and productive fishing of the whole season.
December PROs:
- In theory (not always reality), we should have a short period of time in December where we are fishing over the maximum possible number of salmon in a given season
- There will be big fish around
- After water temps bottom out, the bite window becomes very predictable, with almost all action occurring from midday to early afternoon
- Weather trends (warmer later in the year than in the past) have actually made for some stellar Decembers in recent years.
- Decreased angling pressure and salmon spread throughout the river can make fish that were once “stale” go on the take again
December CONs:
- Salmon become lethargic, often taking the fly softly and with less solid hookups
- Cold water puts a damper on salmon fights
- The total balance of salmon begins to decrease starting on the 16th, whether the final stocking has taken place by then or not
- Tactics become one dimensional…fishing low and slow with sink tips or full sink lines
- Even though Decembers have been trending warmer in recent years, volatile weather is still a distinct possibility
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| Snow way, Jose! |
January - February
Fishing can be an extension of December if winter is mild. It can also shut down entirely. Melting snow will chill the river and can slow the fishing down. Conversely, little snow and a warm stretch can make for short periods of good salmon fishing. Overall, however, I’m not too thrilled with winter salmon fishing. Unless it hasn’t snowed much or gotten very cold, I typically stop guiding (and fishing) by the end of December.
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| March in 2014...snow was melting, it was warming up, and salmon were on the the take. While Dec & Jan fishing has improved, March fishing has gotten worse. |
Spring
In my experience, Spring is the least predictable time to fish for broodstock salmon. One of the best months I’ve ever had was in March 2016. I was catching consistently (some big fish too) and no one else was around. But in recent years, March weather has been horrible and with little possibility of good salmon fishing. The latest I’ve ever caught a broodstock salmon was on April 30. By that time, I am usually tired of it and ready to move on, though I’m sure some can be caught into May and possibly beyond. I’ve long thought that the possibility of dry fly fishing can come back in the spring. I’ve never had success with it then, but I have heard of salmon being caught during Hendrickson hatches.
Not every spring fishes well. Some years, it seems like the salmon move out of the river en masse and don’t come back. I don’t guide in the spring (without lots of disclaimers!), but wouldn’t be opposed to it if the fish are around and the weather cooperates.
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As our weather patterns seem to shift, so does the information above. I think most of it holds true…things like the photoperiod don’t change even if the weather does. Also, the leaves are still going to fall and drive us nuts, no matter when it happens. It seems like fall lasts longer and winter comes later, bleeding into what used to be spring. It’s almost as if each month displays itself as the month that precedes it, i.e. November is the new December, which is the new January, etc. Salmon fishing itself is inherently unpredictable, so why should the weather be any different?
It’s a cliché, but the best time to fish is whenever you can. That and you can’t catch a salmon if your fly isn’t in the water. My advice is to get out there as much as possible, regardless of the month. Observe trends and fish behavior, then modify your fishing methods accordingly!
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**I just realized I made a post about this very subject six years ago. I probably should have looked before typing. Oh well...this post is more up to date. Compare it to the post from 2017 and you'll have even more info at your disposal. My loss of time is your gain of information!
***I made a post about favorite flies for favorite months around the same time as the other 2017 post. The update to that is way more simple...just use Ally's Shrimp in various sizes. It has replaced the Mickey Finn as my ultimate go-to Naugatuck salmon fly.
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| One of five hooked on a fruitful day of guiding/fishing last October (on an Ally's Shrimp) |