Fishing Season: 2nd Saturday in April - Oct. 31st

Battenkill - VT

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

63

Orvis Manchester's Tip of the Week

The Vermont section of the Battenkill is fishing well for anglers willing to adjust to typical late-fall conditions. Flows remain on the low side but are generally wadable, with clear water requiring a stealthy approach. Recent reports indicate flows between roughly 200-230 CFS, with water temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s°F

Directions open in app

Map of Battenkill

Water Flow Data

Orvis-Endorsed guides nearby

Peter Basta
Ralph Yusavage
Brew Moscarello

5-Day Outlook as of 10/30/26

This is the Final weekend of the season for the Battenkill in Vermont. After October 31st you will need to find your spots on NY side.

Techniques & Tips as of 10/30/26

If I were heading out on the Vermont Battenkill this weekend, I'd start with a small olive streamer at first light, switch to a #20 BWO Comparadun around noon, and finish the afternoon with a baetis nymph under an indicator in deeper runs. That combination should cover nearly every productive situation on the river right now

Local Species Available 2nd Saturday in April - Oct. 31st

  • Fish Icon

    Trout

Orvis Manchester's Recommended Fly Patterns

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

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Rusty Spinner brown #18-20
RS2 Natural 18-22
Bead Head Woolly Bugger Streamer Olive #2-8
Blue Wing Olive Parachute White #6-10

Rusty Spinner

Tie on this classic trout dry fly when fish start to get picky.

2.99

Item #63EK

Buy Now

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:

BWO Comparadun (#18-22) RS2 (#18-22) Baetis Nymph (#18-22) Soft Hackles Small Olive Streamers for larger pre-spawn brown

Best Time to Fish:

Late Morning-Early Evening