Battenkill Target Fish
Brown trout
Salmo trutta
The wild brown trout is the Battenkill's signature fish—the one that defines its reputation. Descended from European stock introduced in the late 19th century, browns have thrived in the river's cool, clear water for generations, adapting to its specific currents, lies, and hatches until they became as native to the valley as the covered bridges that span it. They are selective, educated, and unforgiving of sloppy presentation. A Battenkill brown that rises to a well-tied Trico on a light tippet in low summer water is among the most satisfying catches in American fly fishing—not because it happens easily, but because it rarely does.
WILD RESIDENT
SPRING – FALL
DRY FLY & NYMPH
HIGHLY SELECTIVE
Brook trout
Salvelinus fontinalis
The brook trout is Vermont's native salmonid, and the Battenkill's upper reaches and cold feeder tributaries still hold wild populations that have persisted here for centuries. Smaller and more brilliantly colored than their brown trout neighbors—flame-bellied, spotted in red and blue—brookies are a reminder of what this watershed looked like before European settlement changed its riparian character. Finding them requires moving away from popular runs and into quieter, shadier water where the temperature stays low and the pressure stays minimal. They reward patience and a willingness to explore.
NATIVE SPECIES
SPRING – FALL
COLD TRIBUTARIES
SMALL STREAM