Fishing Season: Vermont and New York OPEN

Battenkill - VT

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

62

Orvis Manchester's Tip of the Week

Battenkill River Fishing Report – Vermont Week of September 9, 2025 It’s been a very dry summer, and the Battenkill is still running low and clear, but don’t let that keep you off the water—the fishing has been solid wherever good flows remain. Cooler nights have helped keep temps trout-friendly, especially in the early mornings and shaded stretches. Mornings continue to be productive with Trico hatches, and trout are feeding steadily on spinners once the sun is up. A size 22–24 Trico fished on a long leader with light tippet is the ticket in the softer seams and tailouts. Afternoons have been quieter overall, but keep watch—on humid days we’re seeing swarms of flying ants, and fish are rising aggressively when they hit the water. Be ready with cinnamon and black ant patterns in sizes 16–18. Stealth remains key on the Battenkill in these conditions. Stick with longer leaders, finer tippet, and soft presentations. Focus your efforts where there’s deeper water and steady current, as fish are stacked up in those spots.

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Map of Battenkill

Water Flow Data

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Peter Basta
Ralph Yusavage
Brew Moscarello

5-Day Outlook as of 9/7/25

Best Bets This Week: Early mornings: Trico spinner falls (sz. 22–24) Midday/afternoons: Flying ants (sz. 16–18) on humid days General prospecting: Small terrestrials, caddis, or a lightly weighted soft hackle swung through riffles Despite the low water, it’s shaping up to be a great week—match the hatch in the mornings, watch for ants in the afternoons, and target those cooler, deeper runs for the best success.

Techniques & Tips as of 9/7/25

Insect Activity & Hatches: Tricos in the morning (size 20–24) Light Caddis activity (size 16–18) Terrestrial season is in full swing — ants and beetles can be productive, especially tight to the banks and under overhangs Tactics: Target shaded areas, deeper pools, and areas with inflow from springs or feeder creeks Approach with stealth — water clarity is high and fish are spooky Consider barbless hooks and keep fish wet — quick releases are critical this time of year

Local Species Available Vermont and New York OPEN

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    Trout

Orvis Manchester's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Tunghead Pheasant Tail brown/Rust # 12-16
Bead Head Hare's Ear Nymph Natural #12-14
Bead Head Stonefly N/A #14-16
Zonker White 4-8
Parachute Adams Rust 12-14
Rust Spinners rust 12-14
Sulphur Parachute White 14-16
Mosquito Dry Fly Olive 14-16
Sulpher Pale Yellow 16

Tunghead Pheasant Tail

Adding tungsten beads to mayfly patterns is relatively new.

2.99

Item #144J

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Orvis Manchester's Recommended Gear

Description: About Battenkill

The Battenkill is a small to medium-sized river that is famous for its incredibly difficult brown trout and relatively abundant brook trout. A freestone stream but rising out of many springs in marble bedrock, it stays cold all summer long and is famous for its good midsummer fishing - although in the past 20 years this summer fishing has become difficult because of large crowds of canoes and inner tubes on warm summer days. The river is all wild brown and brook trout throughout its Vermont section, and both 2-year-old and yearling brown trout are stocked in the New York section almost to its confluence with the Hudson River. There are also wild trout in the New York stretch. The Battenkill used to be known for its abundance of small brook and brown trout, and although the brook trout are still abundant (it's rare to find wild brook trout in a river of its size outside of northern Maine), brown trout have become scarcer but much larger. Twenty-inch-plus brown trout are taken all season long on streamers and occasionally by the dry-fly angler patient enough to find and stalk one of these bigger fish. Best fishing is from mid-May to mid-July, but early mornings and evenings are good throughout the season, especially in midsummer. Fall fishing is un-crowded but seldom spectacular. The Battenkill is a difficult river because of its clear, silky, and fast currents, lack of large insects, and wary trout with little midstream cover. A few fish a day is considered very successful on this river. Anglers looking for easier fish (but tighter and tougher casting) should try its two headwater branches upstream (north) of the town of Manchester, or one of its tributaries like the Roaring Branch, Green River, or Bromley Brook.

Nearest Airport:

Albany International Airport (ALB)

Best Time to Fish:

Early mornings and evenings