Dam(n) It!

Our fishing on the Connecticut River in New England is now officially “suspended”, as the river has risen to flood stage throughout the watershed. Unceasing rainfall over the last six weeks or so, especially in the last two weeks, has filled the lakes and then some, creating dangerous flood conditions in and downstream of our area.

In order to create more room in the lakes to accommodate the rain that we’re going to receive today and Friday, the dam flows in each reservoir were raised substantially yesterday. First Lake Dam went from 312 CFS (a high flow, but still good for fishing) to a whopping 566 CFS, while Second Lake Dam now sits at 457 CFS, with water pushing over the boards. These are not wadeable or fishable flows, folks, so it is recommended that you not try it.

Lake Francis and Murphy Dam are even worse. The lake has remained muddy since last week’s torrential rains, as its major tributaries poured silty runoff in to the lake. The water coming out of Murphy Dam remains very muddy as well, and high, too – 1790 CFS is being released through the dam and the auxiliary spillway as of this writing. How long it takes the lake to settle and eventually release clear water is anyone’s guess – we’ve never seen conditions like this before.

Obviously, the river and numerous smaller streams in our area are “out” for fishing at the moment. An improvement in the weather would presumably allow us to fish the streams first, as they will clear up much quicker than the river, which could be out of commission for a while. The ground is saturated right now, so any further precipitation we get will go straight in to the river eventually.

The ponds and the lakes are the only options for fishing in northern New Hampshire right now. Let’s hope that the weather improves soon …