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Upper Connecticut River
New England's longest river, with smallmouth, pike and walleye along the New Hampshire-Vermont border.
Depth & Structure
River fishery along the NH-VT border of runs, drop-offs, rockpiles and deep flats, with deep holes above and below dams; in November smallmouth are reported caught in 15-50 ft of water hugging bottom on drop-offs, rockpiles and deep flats.
Best Lures
Tube jigs and drop-shot rigs with soft-plastic worms for smallmouth; football and shaky-head jigs, tubes, drop shots and blade baits in late fall; plastic worms and crankbaits for largemouth.
Best Baits
Live bait fishing is reported to work well in spring and fall on the Connecticut River near the Enfield/Lebanon reach, alongside summer fly fishing for smallmouth.
Gear to Bring
Medium / medium-light spinning rods, 2500-3000 reels, 8 lb class line (a local tournament angler specifically cites a spinning rod, 8-pound test and a blade bait in November).
Local Tips
['In November huge schools of big smallmouth move to deeper water above and below dams; increasing flows when dams begin releasing water have produced the best luck for local tournament anglers.', 'The river is productive from May through October in the…
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Related Water
Fish photos: smallmouth bass — Wikimedia Commons · northern pike — Wikimedia Commons · walleye — Wikimedia Commons
Fishing regulations, seasons and limits change — always check the current rules for this water before you fish. Spot pins are approximate area markers, not launch or access coordinates.