Fly Fishing the Farmington River

A bottom-draw tailwater below Goodwin Dam that rivals western rivers in fish density, the Farmington is Connecticut's most productive trout fishery and draws dry-fly anglers to its legendary Hendrickson and sulphur hatches just an hour from Hartford.

10 shops nearby
tailwater
April–October
Connecticut
6 key hatches

See fly shops ↓

The best time to fly fish the Farmington River is April–October. Key hatches include Hendrickson, Grannom / Little Black Caddis, Sulphur, Caddis. 10 fly shops near the Farmington River can outfit your trip.

Fly shops near the Farmington River

Shops and guides that fish the Farmington River. See all 14 Connecticut shops →

7 fly shops shown

Species on this water

Bass Carp Panfish Salmon Steelhead Striper Trout

Nearby towns

Bloomfield Farmington Cornwall

Rivers nearby

Swift River Deerfield River Battenkill Willowemoc Creek

Hatches & seasons

When & what to fish on the Farmington River

River typetailwater

Best seasonApril–October; fishable year-round

AccessThe upper Trout Management Area (TMA) runs ~3.5 miles from above the Route 318 Bridge downstream to the Route 219 Bridge in New Hartford; a lower TMA is accessible via Route 177. Numerous pull-offs and trail segments parallel the best trout water throughout.

Key hatches

Hendrickson (late April–mid-May)
Grannom / Little Black Caddis (April–May)
Sulphur (mid-May–June)
Caddis (May–September)
Trico & White Drake (July–August)
Blue-winged Olive (spring and fall)

From The Fly Bench

Tie the flies that work on the Farmington River

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

Browse all 880+ patterns at The Fly Bench

Gear up

Gear up on the Farmington 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 Farmington River

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

Find your flies

Updated June 2026