White River Vermont Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Brown Trout (wild and stocked with
holdovers)
Brook Trout (wild and native)
Rainbow (wild and stocked with
holdovers)
Size
Small to Large
Location
Northern Vermont
Nearest Towns
Granville
Royalton
Season
Mid April – October…varies in some
areas
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Vermont
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Seasons:
The season follows the standard Vermont trout season -but some sections vary from this. See the local current rules and regulations.
Spring:
There are many hatches that occur in the Springtime but high water can be a problem.
Summer:
The uppermost area of the White River and its tributaries stays cool all Summer long and the fishing remains good.
Fall:
Early Fall is a great time for fly fishing the White River as well as a beautiful time to fish the White River.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Options For Selecting Flies:
1. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)
with the dates you will be fishing this stream and we will send you a list of our fly suggestions. Please allow up to 24 hours for a response.
2. Call us 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide which flies you need
3. Email us (sales@perfectflystore.com)
with a budget for flies and we will select them to match the budget and get them to you in time for your fly fishing trip.
All orders are shipped free in the
U. S. Orders over $100 are shipped via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The White River Vermont
The White River is formed deep in the Green Mountains near Granville, Vermont. It is one of the largest streams in the state. It and its many tributaries have native and wild brook trout, wild and stocked rainbows, and wild and stocked brown trout. Several tributaries form the White River including Clark Brook, Deer Hollow Brook, Paterson Brook, Robbins Branch, West Branch, Third Branch and others. In Pittsfield, the Tweed River adds to the flow. It has a good population of brook and rainbow trout. All the tributaries mentioned above and even more have wild brook trout. Fly fishing the White River is good almost anywhere it or its tributaries are fished.
In the middle section of the river, from Granville to Stockbridge, you can access the stream from state highway #100. From Stockbridge downstream to Royalton, state highway #107 follows along the river. State highway #15 follows the river from Royalton to White River Junction. There are numerous access points along the above highways but when you get to the middle section, the river starts getting too deep to wade in many areas. The lower section is best fished from a small boat or canoe. From Cleveland Brook in Bethel to Linnieville Brook in Bethel, the White River is classified as “fly fishing only-artificial lures and flies”. Fly fishing the White River in this section is great.
Outside of just being a trout stream, this river provides the route the Atlantic Salmon take when returning to spawn in the Connecticut River each year. From Stockbridge to Bethel, the river gets much deeper and has some very large pools. Trout are stocked in this area of the river and it also contains salmon. Locus Creek, a freestone creek tributary, joins in on the flow at the National Fish Hatchery. It’s also stocked with rainbow
trout.
The Third Branch of the White River’s confluence is at Bethel. This stream also is stocked with rainbows. It’s followed closely by highway 12A and has plenty of good access areas. The Third Branch has native brook trout in its headwaters near Roxbury and brown trout in its lower section. It too, is a good stream to fly fish.
The First and Second Branches of the White River intersect the main-stem of the river in Royalton. The First Branch has a good population of rainbows and brown trout with plenty of holdovers. It can be accessed from state highway #110. At the White River Junction the White River flows into the Connecticut River. The lowest section has some large rainbows and brown trout but it’s deeper water that requires a boat or canoe.
Remember, the White River is a freestone stream and the water levels and temperatures are subject to mother nature. Where the river widens, the water can get too warm for good fishing conditions during the hot summer. Springtime heavy rainfall can cause the stream to rise and become too high to fish. When the water gets too warm or too high, seek refuge in the small tributaries. They are all full of brook trout and are usually fishable when the mainstream isn’t.
The White River and its tributaries have excellent populations of aquatic insects. There are many species of mayflies, lots of caddisflies and some stoneflies present in the river. The wild trout can become selective on certain insects, especially during heavy hatches. Matching the hatch may be necessary to have much fishing success. Fly fishing the White River can be a big challenge in some areas. We have imitations of all aquatic insects in all stages of life at Perfect Fly and can help you prepare for this.