Housatonic River (Falls Village to New Milford)

The upper Housatonic is Connecticut's big western trout and smallmouth river, running down from the Massachusetts line past Falls Village, Cornwall and Kent to the Bleachery Dam in New Milford. Route 7 runs alongside the most popular trout water, and DEEP manages different stretches for trout, for smallmouth, and for both.

When to fish

• Spring: the prime trout season. On The Water's western Connecticut guide fishes streamers early in April, when trout sit in deep pools, then dries and nymphs as stoneflies, quills, caddis and Hendricksons hatch (Hendricksons by mid-April on warm afternoons).
• Late spring through early fall: smallmouth, pike and carp. From June 15 to September 15 the cold tributary mouths are closed to protect trout from the heat.
• Fall: DEEP restocks the trout areas; in September 2026 more than 12,000 brown and rainbow trout went into the Cornwall and Bulls Bridge sections.

Where to fish

• Cornwall Trout Management Area (Route 7/112 bridge to the Route 4/7 bridge): DEEP's most popular section, with access along Route 7 and River Road. The lowest three miles, above the Route 4 bridge, are fly-fishing only.
• Stanley Tract (below Route 4 in Kent): a remote stretch managed for smallmouth, with the Appalachian Trail along the bank; access is by the dirt road off Skiff Mountain Road.
• Bulls Bridge Trout and Bass Management Area (Bulls Bridge Dam to the Gaylordsville bridge): year-round catch and release for trout and smallmouth.
• Above Great Falls and from Gaylordsville to the Bleachery Dam: slower water for pike, carp and smallmouth. Take great care near the low-head Bleachery Dam.

How to fish it

On The Water's guide looks for rising trout in feeding lanes at the tails of pools and along current seams early in April, then moves to the riffles later in the month when fish are feeding. He swings streamers on rainy, overcast days. For pike and smallmouth on the upper river he uses flies and lures.

Getting there

Route 7 and River Road give access along the Cornwall section, and Housatonic Meadows State Park has a cartop launch and camping. DEEP lists a ramp above Great Falls and state land in North Canaan for the upper flat water. A trout and salmon stamp is required in the Trout Management Areas, all trout there are catch and release, and all bass from the state line to the Bleachery Dam must be released. In 2026 the utility closed the footpath at the end of Gunn's Eddy in the Bulls Bridge section, so respect posted private property. Because of past PCB pollution, the state has a fish consumption advisory for the river; see the Connecticut Freshwater Fishing Guide and the Department of Public Health advisory.