Bear’s Den Freshwater Fishing Report 10/3/2026
Massachusetts Waters Stocked This Week
MassWildlife’s fall stocking program is now in full swing, and fresh trout are going into waters across the state. The 2026 fall program includes 10,750 brown trout over 12 inches, 16,300 rainbows between 12 and 13 inches, and 43,500 rainbows over 14 inches. MassWildlife updates its stocking report daily as fish are released.
Among the stockings we can verify this week are the Deerfield River on October 1, Upper Highland Lake on September 30, and Metacomet Lake on September 29. Roseland Lake was also reported stocked on October 2. The Deerfield stocking is particularly noteworthy for fly anglers, putting fresh trout into the river just as fall conditions begin to settle in.
Keep checking the MassWildlife stocking report before heading out. More waters will continue to receive fish through mid-October, and the state notes that actual stocking can change with water temperature, flows, staffing and equipment.
Swift River — Belchertown/Ware, Massachusetts
The most report has the Swift at a cold 45 degrees and fishing well. Brook trout are taking on strong spawning colors, with some fish already staging around spawning areas. That makes careful wading especially important right now—watch for redds and leave actively spawning fish alone.
For the rest of the river, light nymph rigs and dry-droppers remain the primary approaches. Small flashy nymphs have been producing, and the usual Swift formula of small flies, light tippet and careful presentations remains important in the clear water. BWOs, midges and the last of the seasonal terrestrials are all worth having in the box. Early and late in the day remain good windows to concentrate your effort.
Photo Courtesy Matt Tempesta Tempco Fly Fishing Guide Services
Deerfield River — Massachusetts
The Deerfield received another stocking of trout on October 1, adding fresh fish to a river that was already moving nicely into its fall pattern.
October caddis are becoming increasingly noticeable, with smaller caddis and Blue-Winged Olives also appearing. Cooler temperatures have trout willing to chase streamers, making this a good time to start leaning more heavily on streamer fishing. Morning nymphing and streamer fishing has been productive, while larger caddis dries with BWO nymph droppers are an option as the day progresses.
Flows remain the big variable on the Deerfield. Dam releases can quickly change wading conditions, so check the gauges before getting into the river. When flows cooperate, the combination of freshly stocked trout, holdovers and wild fish makes the Deerfield one of the better Massachusetts options right now.
Farmington River — Connecticut
The Farmington is in excellent early-October shape. The October 1st report had 239 CFS through the Permanent TMA/Catch-and-Release section, with 187 CFS coming from the Riverton gauge and another 52 CFS from the Still River. Water temperature in Riverton was 61 degrees that morning.
Brown trout are moving into pre-spawn mode, and some of the males are already developing pronounced fall colors. There are still opportunities for rising fish, but nymphs and streamers are becoming increasingly important. Smaller #18–22 nymphs are producing, while Isonychia, BWOs and caddis provide the main dry-fly opportunities. Tan and brown caddis #16–18 and the much larger October caddis are becoming increasingly noticeable.
Streamer fishing is really beginning to come into its own. Yellow has been an especially productive color to incorporate into fall streamers, and anglers looking specifically for bigger browns can start experimenting with larger 3- to 6-inch patterns. Smaller streamers and Woolly Buggers will generally produce more fish. Just keep spawning activity in mind as October progresses and avoid fish actively working redds.
Photo Courtesy Matt Tempesta Tempco Fly Fishing Guide Services
Salmon River — Pulaski, New York
Pulaski is firmly into salmon season, and there is now more than just kings and cohos to get excited about.
Chinook, coho and steelhead are now all present in the DSR. The middle portion of the run produced the best fishing, described as good to excellent, with all three species being brought to hand. Fish were both actively moving upriver and holding in pools.
The upper section produced moderate action in its lower and middle portions, while the lower section was slower around the estuary and moderate farther upriver. Most importantly, steelhead are now mixing in with the salmon throughout significant portions of the run. That's an encouraging development for fly anglers as we move farther into October.
As of October 2, the dam release was 185 CFS and Pineville was approximately 216 CFS. With relatively modest flows, concentrate on defined travel lanes, deeper pools and broken water where moving fish have some security. Egg patterns are increasingly important now that salmon are throughout the system, and steelhead following the salmon upstream will only make that approach more effective.
~anthony
