Wade73/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
All New Hampshire reports
Fly fishing report · Northeast
Merrimack River
Is Merrimack River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for New Hampshire before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: Jane023 Opens in a new tab. · CC BY-SA 4.0
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Good fishing
Yes. Fishing looks good.
73
Good fishing based on the verified flow and weather. No official live water-temperature reading is available. Carry a thermometer during warm weather and stop if the water is stressful for trout.
See update time and confidence
Live data checkHighHow much of the live flow, weather, and alert data came back.
Today's callMediumWater temperature not verified; do not use this score to clear warm-water risk.
Score calculated Aug 22, 2026, 10:45 PM EDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Access choicesNo clear best mode
Wade, Bank / edge, and Float have the same top score. Use current access, footing, weather, and local rules to choose.
Bank / edge73/100
Bank and edge fishing remains a practical low-commitment option if access is legal and footing is safe.
Float73/100
A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.
Your plan
Today's Merrimack River plan.
The Merrimack is a broad river, not a small trout stream. Around Franklin it can offer coldwater windows and mixed fishing, while downstream reaches often make more sense for smallmouth and larger-river streamer tactics.
- Check first
- Use the Franklin Junction flow before planning a wade or float.
- Try
- Use the Franklin gauge for upper-river planning, then inspect the actual reach before wading.
- Leave when
- Skip wading when the river is high, rising, cold and pushy, dam-influenced, or warm enough that trout handling is poor. Switch targets or choose smaller water.
Live river check
What the river is doing
Check the latest flow and weather before you go. A quick change can make the river harder or less safe to fish.
Showing the latest stored river check while current readings load.
- Flow
- 591 cfs
- From the latest stored river check. Open the official source for the newest reading.
- Air now
- 63°F
Current NWS forecast period
- Next 24h high
- 76.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 22%
For this forecast period
This is an air forecast, not a river-temperature reading. Check the water with a stream thermometer before fishing in hot weather.
Latest stored weather check
Patchy Fog
Patchy Fog
- Wind
- 0 mph
- Weather checked
Recent flow chart is loading
The latest stored reading is shown above. Check the official source below if you need the newest value now.
More forecast and source details
National Weather Service
Merrimack River at Franklin Junction
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Merrimack River at Franklin Junction
How to fish it
How to fish Merrimack River today.
A stable-flow day with moderate temperatures gives the most options. High water makes wading risky, and summer heat should push anglers toward smallmouth, shaded margins, or a colder trout stream.
Moderate flow
Fish seams, ledges, island tails, and bank soft water.
High flow
Do not force wading. Fish protected edges or use a boat plan only if safe.
Warm water
Target bass and warmwater species instead of trout.
Clear low water
Use longer casts, smaller streamers, and low-profile approaches.
Fishing words used on this page
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gauge
- A USGS gauge is an official river station that measures flow or water height.
- Cubic feet per second (cfs)
- Cubic feet per second, or cfs, shows how much water passes the gauge each second.
- Nymph
- A nymph is a young water insect. Anglers also use the word for a fly that copies it.
- Seam
- A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
- Blue-winged olive (BWO)
- Blue-winged olives, or BWOs, are small mayflies that often hatch in cool or cloudy weather.
- Caddis
- Caddis are small water insects. The adults look a little like tiny moths.
- Emerger
- An emerger copies an insect as it rises from below the water toward the surface.
- Indicator
- An indicator is a small floating marker that can show when a fish takes an underwater fly.
- River reach
- A reach is one named section of a river or stream.
- Soft hackle
- A soft-hackle fly has moving fibers that can look like an insect rising through the water.
Why this call
Why this score
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 591 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1903-2025, 100 readings) show a median near 1,040 cfs and a low-water marker near 600 cfs; today's flow is unusually low for the date. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
SeasonHelps
Summer: Smallmouth poppers, sliders, crayfish, and early or late sessions.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 63F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 76F. Patchy Fog.
Public alertsHelps
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Fishing usefulnessHelps
Skip wading when the river is high, rising, cold and pushy, dam-influenced, or warm enough that trout handling is poor. Switch targets or choose smaller water.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use RiverReports and USGS 01081500 at Franklin Junction for the upper-river trend, then match that reading to the exact reach, dam influence, boat traffic, and wind.
Skip wading when the river is high, rising, cold and pushy, dam-influenced, or warm enough that trout handling is poor. Switch targets or choose smaller water.
Start at the Franklin flow, check NH rules and weather, then decide whether to fish trout seams, smallmouth ledges, bank structure, or a boat-access reach.
If the Merrimack is too high, warm, windy, or access-complicated, compare Mascoma, Saco, or Androscoggin depending on whether trout or warmwater fishing is the goal.
What to try
Merrimack River flies through the year.
Match the time of year, then let rising fish and current speed guide the next change.
SeasonWhat to look forFlies to try
April to May
What to look forEarly trout hatches, baitfish movement, crayfish, and warming smallmouth flats
June to AugustCurrent
What to look forCaddis, damselflies, dragonflies, hoppers, minnows, crayfish
September to October
What to look forCooling-water baitfish, late caddis, crayfish, fall streamer windows
Cold months
What to look forLimited surface feeding; slower holes and warm afternoons matter most
Flies to try
Slow leechLeech Patterns→jig streamerTrout Streamer Patterns→small baitfishBaitfish and Minnow Patterns→
Also try nymph under indicator
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Merrimack River access and rules.
Use these places as starting points. Open the access link below and check posted signs before you park or enter. Check New Hampshire freshwater rules, seasons, species limits, and any local reach rules before fishing the Merrimack.
Franklin Junction gauge reach
Primary flow reference for upper Merrimack planning.
Concord area
Mixed warmwater fly-fishing with larger-river access decisions.
Manchester and lower reaches
More urban, warmwater, and access-specific planning.
The Merrimack has public launches and parks, but legal wade access is section-by-section.
Urban and dam-influenced reaches can change quickly. Avoid fishing below structures without checking safety.
Warmwater fly fishing is often a better summer plan than forcing trout tactics.
River sources
Official Merrimack River sources.
Official agencies and primary river operators come first. Secondary tools are labeled so you know what carries the most weight.
How this report was checked
How this report was checked
Reviewed byBlueStreamFly River Review Team
Trip guidance checked
What was checked: This report is maintained from current regulation, access, flow, weather, and public planning sources so anglers can make better trip decisions than a raw gauge or generic overview would allow.
Live measurements and forecasts keep their provider timestamps. Rules, access, and trip guidance use the source-review date shown here. BlueStreamFly planning advice is editorial interpretation, not an agency notice.
First-hand experience: BlueStreamFly does not claim a first-hand visit or local field test for this report unless a real contributor is explicitly named and linked.
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
See all 8 checked sources
Rules and closures
Check what is allowed, where the rule applies, and whether the river is open.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
What this source covers
Open the current rules and check the river section, season, and special limits.
Flow and weather
Check the latest river reading and forecast before you leave.
What this source covers
Open this page and check the latest safety advice before your trip.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
What this source covers
Open this river reading to check the latest level, flow, and update time.
Access and land
Check public entry points, land rules, and seasonal access changes.
What this source covers
Open the land or access page, then check signs before you park or enter.
More helpful links
Use these links for stocking, safety, and other local details.
What this source covers
Open this page for stocking or fish population information.
Quick answers
Quick Merrimack River answers.
What should I check first before fishing the Merrimack River?
Check RiverReports or USGS at Franklin Junction, water temperature, NH rules, weather, and the exact access point.
Are there special fishing rules on the Merrimack River?
Yes. Rules depend on species and reach, so use the current NH freshwater digest.
What flies should I bring for the Merrimack River?
Bring the hatch-chart flies, a few confidence nymphs, and a streamer or warmwater box that matches the river's species. Then adjust for water temperature, clarity, and the insects or baitfish you actually see.
Can I wade the Merrimack River?
Some sections can be waded at moderate flows, but the Merrimack is big water. Use the gauge and avoid unsafe crossings.
When should I skip the Merrimack River?
Skip it when flows are unsafe, water is too warm for trout, emergency closures are active, or legal access for the reach is not clear.