Fishing Season: Vermont and New York OPEN

Battenkill - VT

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

38

Orvis Manchester's Tip of the Week

BATTENKILL IN VERMONT IS CLOSED TO ALL FISHING FROM NOVEMBER 1 - APRIL 15. Open to catch and release ONLY IN NEW YORK STATE WATERS.

Directions open in app

Map of Battenkill

Water Flow Data

5-Day Outlook as of 3/21/24

BATTENKILL IN VT IS CLOSED FOR WINTER.

Techniques & Tips as of 3/21/24

BEST TECHNIQUE IS TO WAIT UNTIL APRIL TO LEGALY FISH THE BATTENKILL IN VT. If fishing in New York, wait for warmer days and later aternoon bite windows. Any water temperature increase is what you are looking for this time of year. Nymphing with a 10' rod or longer, and a heavy and light flyoption is preferable. Trout spey can be a great option for this time of year as well. Swung streamers of olive, black and white colorations should do the trick. Spey may be less rewarding of fish numbers, but can produce some great days when conditions are correct.

Local Species Available Vermont and New York OPEN

  • Fish Icon

    Trout

Orvis Manchester's Recommended Fly Patterns

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

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Mickey Finn Red/Yellow #8-10
Moto's Minnow Brown/Olive/White #4-8
Quasimodo Pheasant Tail natural #16-18
RS2 BWO #18-22
Rusty Spinner Rust #12-18
Woolly Buggers Olive/Black #4-8
TH 20 Incher Black/Yellow #12-16
Adams Grey #16-20
Prince Nymph N/A #12-16
Hare's Ear nymph natural #12-16

Mickey Finn

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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)

Hatches:

Best Time to Fish:

12:00pm- Dusk