Outdoors Destination:

The Upper Missisquoi
An untouched summer hot-spot

by Francis Smith

In the Northeast Kingdom’s northwest corner numerous brooks come together and form one of Vermont’s hidden trout rivers. The upper reach of the Missisquoi River, fed by these spring-fed and run-off brooks, is a cold-water, moderate-size trout stream where large brown trout and feisty brook trout lay relatively untouched. The upper reach begins in the town of Lowell and flows north through the towns of Westfield, Troy, Jay, and North Troy before entering Canada. After a stint in Canada the Missisquoi slides back into Vermont. It grows in size and slows in speed and once it’s below the town of Richford the river becomes a warm-water destination.

 Once there the Missisquoi runs approximately ten miles through mixed landscapes from its steep, mountainous beginnings, alongside active family farms and through forest-covered gorges. The river originates in the steep ridged Mount Norris and Hadley Mountain area where the East Branch and Burgess Brook flow out of and eventually meet up to form the Missisquoi.

Spring and fall are the times to hit this area for brook trout and the occasional hold-over brown trout. Once north of the town of Lowell the Missisquoi starts to take on the characteristics of a stream with riffles, bend pools, and deep holes. Canoeists and kayakers can take advantage of this stretch, when there is adequate water flow. Paddling this under-fished stretch is a wonderful way to find some surprisingly large brown trout and numerous brook trout.

The lurking browns tend to be scarce in the daytime but in the early twilight and as evening falls they go on the prowl. Small spinners, such as a Mepps Black Fury and

Warden’s Rooster Tails in yellow, work wonders in this stretch and further down stream. Spin fishermen do well during these times with Rapala’s F-3 in colors BT (brown trout) or RBT (rainbow trout). But the best tactic, and one used by many locals is a small spinner tipped with a crawler tail.

For the fly angler big flies such as a muddler minnow, matuka and the worldwide favorite woolly bugger entice the Missisquoi’s shy browns to hit hard. To fool the brookies a dry Adams, Royal Wulf and elk hair caddis can prove deadly in small sizes.

With numerous overhangs, woody debris, slow bends, and deep runs the stretch from Lowell along route 100 north to Troy is a paradise where few fishermen prowl. Once in the town of Troy head north on the River Road, cross the first bridge and you will notice a dam on your left. From this point downstream the Missisquoi really earns its trout river status.

Below the dam is a well-known hot- spot for frisky youth and fishermen alike. With plenty of oxygen from the cascading falls below the dam the next mile of river is run of abundant pleasure for the angler and offers rich and varied aquatic life. Caddis flies abound in this area with small black caddis being predominate in later summer.

One of my fishing cohorts, Richard Nelson, and I happened upon this stretch some years ago and nailed this caddis hatch. Browns and brookies charged these little pup tents on the water. Armed with a #16 black elk-hair caddis Richard was first into a fat 16-inch brown in the fading twilight.

I landed two 12-inch brookies in consecutive casts. As we hop-skipped each other down the river we giggled and hooted, “There’s one!” or “Fish on!” We eventually released a total of 14 fish more than a foot long each. The evening ended with my rod bent hard towards an underwater stump where a large brown had sipped my tiny caddis, and then headed for the deep as I set the hook. A short battle ensued and Richard netted the 19-inch trophy for me. The intense hatch was still on as we headed for the truck with the sound of sips and gulps fading behind us.

Continuing north on the River Road the Missisquoi offers many slow bends and runs—but don’t discount these slower stretches. With ample depth and cover, brown trout go untouched here and grow large. Two obvious spots that require angler attention along the River Road are the covered-bridge pull-off and the historical gorge of Big Falls where visitors and locals fish, swim, and picnic in these areas. Once at these areas a venturing angler can find many quiet hidden riffles, runs and brushy undercut banks. If you venture far enough you will find a box canyon small in size but beautiful in stature. But watch the rocks here—they are slippery, and the brown trout are frustrating.

General Vermont Fish and Wildlife fishing regulations apply to the upper reach of the Missisquoi River. Check your law-digest for more specific information. Kingdom winters can be hard so when you hook into one of these trophy trout give serious thought to releasing him. Next time you venture to the upper reaches you can try for him again.

Where: The Upper Reach of the Missisquoi River

Length: Approximately 10 miles.

Species: Brown and brook trout.

Access: Roadside pull-offs along Loop Road and River road. Ask permission to cross any posted fields and woods at nearest farm.

Stocking: Annual stocking of 3,000 yearling brown trout in the Troy-Westfield area.

Local B&Bs: Couture’s Maple Shop and B&B, Route 100, Westfield, 802-744-2733 or 800-845-2733, or The Riverbend B&B, Route 100, Troy, 802-744-9991.

Regulations: Special regulations may apply. Check the Vermont Digest.

For several years Francis Smith ran one of the most successful fly fishing and bird hunting guide services in northern Vermont. We are pleased to have him writing for Outdoors Magazine again.