Fishing Season: Year round. Nov. 1 to Friday before 2nd Sat. in April, catch and release only

Black River - VT

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Temperature 34°

Temp:

34°

Water Temp:

44

Woodstock Inn's Tip of the Week

The Black is dropping and is at 678 CFS as of Tuesday evening. Definitely some opportunities to wade at thse flows but the fly is moving fast and water is slightly off-color. Safe wading is more like 550-600 ish CFS. Slow and low but don't count out the riffles. Reports of fish being caught on sculpin patterns, clawed changers and articulated flies! Fish still being caught throughout the Black River watershed. If it looks good, fish it! The Trophy Section of the Black (and above and below it) have been fishing well. Colder air and water temps have slowed the bug action and streamers have been working especially for the Brown Hunters! Safe wading is below 550-600 CFS. From Woodstock Fishing Guide Gregg Maddock: Black is the color on The Black. Add in Olive Wooly buggers when the water is clear. Kaufman Stones, Black & Olive Wooley Buggers with some green flash have been working for me and my guests. Vary your strips with streamers, consider changing your strips and depth before changing flies! Try slow retrieves with a hard stop. If you venture out from the usual fishing holes (pull offs) and do a bit of hiking, it will pay off! Consider throwing the biggest streamers you got. Get their attention and make it worth the effort to eat! From Woodstock Fishing Guide COLIN MACMILLAN: Focus on likely winter water, slow areas that hold some depth are usually a good place to start. If that water type isn't proving to hold fish adjust what kind of water type you are fishing. Fishing larger flies has often proven to be effective during the winter as fish are forced to focus more on larger food forms due to less bug activity. Flies like: jig streamers, squirmy worms, eggs, and mop flies are staple patterns in the winter time. As we move into February it is important to keep nymphs in your rotation as we come closer to spring hatches. These nymphs are in the drift well before the first hatches of the year. Typically sunnier day are good days to nymph as the sun makes the nymphs more active and fish are quick to adjust to this. Do not be afraid to fish faster water in the winter, at some point in the day fish will slide into faster moving water to focus on feeding. Take advantage of these windows! This winter has relatively mild and a lot of rivers are still fishable so get out there! Midweek and Weekend updates can be found on Instagram/Facebook at @woodstockfishingguides. THE FLY SHOP @ THE WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT is now OPEN DAILY 9AM-4PM in our winter location at the Woodstock Nordic Center at 76 South Street. WINTER SALE 20% All Fishing Items! Fly Tying Nights: Experienced and beginning fly tyers are welcome to join us from 6-8 PM. Snacks/Beer/Wine/Cider will be available for purchase. Great time to social and meet local anglers. Just show up-No charge. Located in the Fairway Grill in the Woodstock Nordic Center. Thursday, March 21 6-8 PM

Directions open in app

Map of Black River

Water Flow Data

5-Day Outlook as of 3/19/24

Cold conditions this week with snow forecasted for Friday night through Monday. Flows are dropping quickly but there is still snow melt in the higher elevations. Watch the guide and prepare to fish high and stained water all spring. "If it looks good, fish it" will be our motto for this year! Midweek and Weekend updates can be found on Instagram/Facebook at @woodstockfishingguides. THE FLY SHOP @ THE WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT is now OPEN 9AM-4PM Wednesday-Saturday) in our winter location at the Woodstock Nordic Center at 76 South Street. WINTER SALE 20% All Fishing Items! Fly Tying Nights: Experienced and beginning fly tyers are welcome to join us from 6-8 PM. Snacks will be provided and /Beer/Wine/Cider/soft drinks/coffee will be available for purchase. Great time to social and meet local anglers. Just show up-No charge. Located in the Fairway Grill in the Woodstock Nordic Center. Thursday, March 21 6-8 PM-LAST ONE OF THE SEASON!

Techniques & Tips as of 3/19/24

Slow and low. Nymphs. Streamers. Swinging weighted flies or nymphing to get down deep. Fish were aggressively hitting streamers once you got them down to them, then they would follow. Warmest part of the day is best. Nymphing will get the fly in the zone. Midweek and Weekend updates can be found on Instagram/Facebook at @woodstockfishingguides. THE FLY SHOP @ THE WOODSTOCK INN & RESORT is now OPEN DAILY 9AM-4PM in our winter location at the Woodstock Nordic Center at 76 South Street. WINTER SALE 20% All Fishing Items! Fly Tying Nights: Experienced and beginning fly tyers are welcome to join us from 6-8 PM. Snacks/Beer/Wine/Cider will be available for purchase. Great time to social and meet local anglers. Just show up-No charge. Located in the Fairway Grill in the Woodstock Nordic Center. Orvis fly tying kits, Fulling Mill hooks and beads, and Loon fly tying tools available for purchase. Thursday, March 21 6-8 PM

Local Species Available Year round. Nov. 1 to Friday before 2nd Sat. in April, catch and release only

  • Fish Icon

    Trout

Woodstock Inn's Recommended Fly Patterns

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

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Flying Ant Olive
Chernobyl Ant N/A
Hopper White
Cream Variant N/A
Stonefly Nymphs green 16
Wooley Buggers Black/Green 8
Quasimodo Pheasant Tail N/A
Bead Head American Pheasant Tail N/A
Streamers White/Green 4
Copper John N/A

Flying Ant

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Woodstock Inn's Recommended Gear

Description: About Black River

One of Vermont’s “Trophy Trout” stocking program rivers. Fish the Black River along Route 131 in Weathersfield and Cavendish, from Downers covered bridge upstream (approximately 4 miles) to the next bridge across the river, the Howard Hill bridge. Brook, Brown, and Rainbow Trout: length limit, none; daily limit, 2 trout aggregate Open year-round from Howard Hill bridge downstream to CT River. Nov. 1 to Friday before the second Saturday in April, open ONLY TO TROUT FISHING (Catch and Release Only) using artificial flies and lures.

Nearest Airport:

Lebanon, NH, Rutland, VT, Boston, MA, Burlington, VT

Hatches:

Hopper Crayfish Sculpin Caddis

Best Time to Fish:

Warmest Part of the Day

Best Stretch:

Route 131 in Weathersfield and Cavendish, from covered bridge near Downer's Corners, upstream to Howard Hill Rd. bridge.

Best Access:

Trophy Section