Wade · Best fit92/100
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
Saco River
Is Saco River worth the trip today? Check flow, weather, hatches, access, and rules for New Hampshire before you go.
See the flow chart ↓Photo: EgorovaSvetlana Opens in a new tab. · CC BY-SA 4.0
Good day to fish?Latest river check
Good fishing
Yes. Fishing looks good.
92
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 23, 2026, 12:51 AM EDTUsually checks again about every 45 minutes
Best access methodWade
These scores compare the risks of wading, bank fishing, and floating.
Bank / edgeNot recommended
This report does not recommend bank fishing on this reach.
FloatNot recommended
This report does not recommend floating this reach.
Your plan
Today's Saco River plan.
The Saco can fish well when it is clear, cool, and not pushing too hard. Around Conway, the river offers classic freestone seams, gravel bars, and pocket water, but it can rise quickly after mountain rain.
- Check first
- Use the Conway gauge before wading or choosing a gravel-bar plan.
- Try
- Start at the Conway gauge and avoid wading when the river is pushing hard.
- Leave when
- Skip wading when the Conway trend is high or rising, thunderstorms have added stain, summer water is warm, or the only available water is crowded with swimmers and tubes.
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
- 176 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
- 75.0°F
NWS air forecast near
- Rain chance
- 27%
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
Chance Rain Showers
Chance Rain Showers
- 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
Saco River near Conway
The National Weather Service forecast is temporarily unavailable.
Live data
Where these readings come from
RiverReports gauge: Saco River near Conway
How to fish it
How to fish Saco River today.
The strongest plan is a cool morning with stable flow and clear water. If thunderstorms, runoff, or summer heat are in the picture, check the gauge again and keep a colder backup stream in mind.
Clear and stable
Use dry-droppers, caddis, mayflies, and small nymphs.
Slight stain
Fish small streamers near banks and soft tailouts.
High or rising
Avoid wading. Wait for the river to settle.
Warm summer water
Fish early, use a thermometer, and stop trout fishing when needed.
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.
- Riffle
- A riffle is shallow, fast water broken by rocks.
- Seam
- A seam is the line where fast and slow water meet.
- Tailout
- A tailout is the shallow, slower water at the lower end of a pool.
- 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.
- Midge
- Midges are tiny flies and a common trout food, especially in cold water.
Why this call
Why this score
FlowHelps
USGS shows 176 cfs. The flow has been stable over about 6 hours. USGS marks this reading provisional and may revise it. USGS records for this date (1904-2025, 103 readings) show a typical middle range of 159 cfs to 381 cfs. Flow is within the typical range for this date, so weather, temperature, and access become the next checks.
SeasonHelps
Summer: Early mornings, shade, terrestrials, and careful temperature checks.
WeatherHelps
The current NWS air forecast is about 63F, and the next 24-hour high reaches about 75F. Chance Rain Showers.
Public alertsHelps
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Fishing usefulnessHelps
Skip wading when the Conway trend is high or rising, thunderstorms have added stain, summer water is warm, or the only available water is crowded with swimmers and tubes.
Trip notes
Trip notes
Check these before you choose a reach.
Use RiverReports and USGS 01064500 near Conway as the primary trend, then pair it with recent mountain rainfall, clarity, and temperature before stepping into a riffle.
Skip wading when the Conway trend is high or rising, thunderstorms have added stain, summer water is warm, or the only available water is crowded with swimmers and tubes.
Check the Conway flow, NH rules, stocking context, and weather first, then pick a shaded reach where you can fish pocket water, riffle seams, or banks without crowding other river users.
If the Saco is high, warm, crowded, or muddy, compare the Androscoggin, Upper Connecticut, or Merrimack before forcing a weak trout day.
What to try
Saco 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
March to April
What to look forMidges, early black stones, BWOs, stocked-trout nymph windows
May to June
What to look forCaddis, Hendricksons, March Browns, sulphurs, light cahills
July to AugustCurrent
What to look forEvening caddis, terrestrials, midges, small mayflies in cold reaches
September to October
What to look forBWOs, October caddis, midges, cooling-water streamer windows
Each fly name opens its matching Fly Box guide.
Access and safety
Saco 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 the New Hampshire freshwater digest, trout rules, seasons, and stocking information for the exact Saco reach before fishing.
Conway gauge reach
Primary flow reference and a useful middle-river planning point.
North Conway and Bartlett area
Popular access with mountain-weather and crowd considerations.
Lower Saco direction
Warmer mixed-water context as the river leaves the mountains.
The Saco has public access but also heavy recreation use. Respect parking, posted areas, and other river users.
Mountain rain can change the river quickly even if the sky is clear where you are standing.
Some lower reaches shift toward warmwater fishing during summer.
River sources
Official Saco 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 Saco River answers.
What should I check first before fishing the Saco River?
Check RiverReports or USGS at Conway, recent mountain rain, NH rules, water temperature, and access crowding.
Are there special fishing rules on the Saco River?
Yes. Use current NH rules because trout seasons and waterbody details can change.
What flies should I bring for the Saco 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 Saco River?
Often yes at normal flows, but high water and slippery ledges make conservative wading important.
When should I skip the Saco 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.