Fly Fishing the Androscoggin River

New Hampshire's upper Androscoggin runs cold and clear out of Lake Umbagog, offering a rare combination of fly-fishing-only regulated water, low crowds, and a renowned mid-summer Alder Fly hatch that brings big browns to the surface for weeks.

6 shops nearby

See fly shops ↓

When to fish

May–June and September–October for dry flies

Best months: May–June, September–October

Best
Off-peak

Blue-winged Olive: late March–May; also fall. Little Black Caddis & Blue Quill: April–May.

Today's conditions

Where to fish

Errol Dam downstream to Bragg Bay

Errol1 shopGorham1 shop

Pittsburg2 shopsConway1 shop

Route 16 follows the river for over 20 miles north of Berlin with multiple pull-offs; key access sites include Seven Islands Bridge and the Androscoggin Wayside Park in Errol. The upper fly-fishing-only section runs from Errol Dam downstream to Bragg Bay.

The water

Tailwater

Key hatches

Blue-Winged Olive
Midge
Hendrickson
Light Cahill
March Brown

Hatch calendar

Conditions

Loading river conditions

6-day forecast

Loading forecast

Forecast from the National Weather Service ↗

Hatch calendar

Months each hatch is active on the Androscoggin River, with hook sizes and local timing notes.
Hatch · hook	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Blue-winged Olive(mayflies)hook #18–22late March–May; also fall	January	February	March	April					September	October	November	December
Midge(midges)hook #18–22year-round	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November
Hendrickson(mayflies)hook #12–14			March	April	May	June
Light Cahill(mayflies)hook #12–20					May	June	July	August
March Brown(mayflies)hook #10–12					May	June	July
Caddisfly(caddis)hook #12–16						June	July	August	September
Damselfly(other insects)hook #8–10						June	July
Hexagenia(mayflies)hook #8–10						June	July

Mayflies
Caddis
Midges
Other insects
This month

Also on this water

Little Black Caddis & Blue QuillApril–May
Alder Fly / Zebra Caddismid-June–early July
Little Yellow Stoneflysummer
Terrestrials — ants, beetles, hoppersJuly–September

Timing from Big Y Fly Co's Androscoggin River hatch chart ↗. Notes are local timing; dates shift a couple of weeks with weather and water.

Fly shops near the Androscoggin River

Shops and guides that fish the Androscoggin River. See all 18 New Hampshire shops →

6 fly shops shownAndroscoggin River at Errol

Species on this water

Trout Bass Panfish Pike Salmon Striper

Nearby towns

Errol Pittsburg Gorham

Rivers nearby

Battenkill Deerfield River Swift River Farmington River

From The Fly Bench

Tie the flies that work on the Androscoggin River

Step-by-step tying recipes & videos for these patterns.

Browse patterns at The Fly Bench

Gear up

Gear up on the Androscoggin River

Everything you need before the next trip — rods, lines, leaders, and fly-tying materials.

Shop the gear Flies that work

The flies that work on the Androscoggin River

Find the most effective patterns for where you're fishing — and learn to tie them yourself, step by step.

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