Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Route 44 bridge - Salisbury Road US 44 - Salisbury / North Canaan | Bridge crossing | 42.00504, -73.35736 | First highway crossing below the Massachusetts line. |
| 2 | Great Falls Reservoir Access Canoe access - Falls Village | Access / boat ramp | 41.96385, -73.37183 | Slipway above Great Falls Dam; tagged for canoe use. |
| 3 | Great Falls Dam Falls Village | Dam / hazard | 41.96319, -73.37179 | Portage. The falls below the dam run dry when the canal is diverting. |
| 4 | Falls Mountain Road bridge Falls Village - AMC Connecticut Chapter | Bridge crossing | 41.95828, -73.37067 | Crossing below the Great Falls powerhouse reach. |
| 5 | Routes 7 and 112 bridge - Lime Rock US 7 / Route 112 - Salisbury / Canaan | Bridge crossing | 41.93429, -73.36193 | Upstream limit of the Housatonic River Trout Management Area, which runs from here to the Routes 4 and 7 bridge at Cornwall Bridge. |
| 6 | Belter Lime Rock Preserve Nature preserve - Salisbury | Park / conservation area | 41.92705, -73.36842 | Riverside preserve on the west bank in the trout management water. |
| 7 | Belter's Campsites Free riverside campsite | Campsite | 41.92682, -73.36344 | OSM records a bear box and a pit toilet, no fee. |
| 8 | Sycamore Field Preserve Town of Salisbury | Park / conservation area | 41.92662, -73.35992 | Open river frontage on the east bank. |
| 9 | Dean's Ravine Campsite Walk-in campsite | Campsite | 41.92053, -73.34794 | Set back from the river at the mouth of Dean's Ravine. |
| 10 | Route 128 bridge - West Cornwall Route 128 - Cornwall / Sharon | Bridge crossing | 41.87156, -73.36394 | The West Cornwall covered bridge; the main put-in and take-out landmark on the trout water. |
| 11 | Brokaw Preserve Cornwall Conservation Trust | Park / conservation area | 41.86733, -73.35773 | East-bank preserve between West Cornwall and Cornwall Bridge. |
| 12 | Route 7 bridge below West Cornwall US 7 - Cornwall | Bridge crossing | 41.86609, -73.36964 | Highway crossing in the middle of the trout management water. |
| 13 | Clarke Outdoors Canoe, kayak and raft livery - West Cornwall | Outfitter / canoe rental | 41.86068, -73.37528 | OSM spells the name 'Clark Outdoors'; corrected here. Shop and shuttle on Route 7. |
| 14 | Housatonic Meadows State Park Connecticut DEEP | Park / conservation area | 41.84509, -73.37845 | The main state river frontage on the trout water. |
| 15 | Housatonic Meadows State Park Campground Connecticut DEEP | Campsite | 41.83820, -73.37967 | Riverside state campground inside the park. |
| 16 | Route 7 bridge at Housatonic Meadows US 7 - Sharon / Cornwall | Bridge crossing | 41.83344, -73.38310 | |
| 17 | Routes 4 and 7 bridge - Cornwall Bridge US 7 / Route 4 - Cornwall / Sharon | Bridge crossing | 41.82001, -73.37334 | Downstream limit of the Housatonic River Trout Management Area. DEEP also posts a three-mile fly-water reach immediately above this bridge. |
| 18 | Silver Hill Campsite Free walk-in campsite | Campsite | 41.81540, -73.38961 | OSM records a water pump, a bear box and a privy. |
| 19 | Route 341 bridge - Kent Route 341 - Kent | Bridge crossing | 41.72687, -73.48131 | Town crossing at Kent. |
| 20 | Bulls Bridge Dam FirstLight - Kent | Dam / hazard | 41.67822, -73.50863 | Upstream limit of the Bull's Bridge Trout Management Area, which runs from this impoundment dam to the Gaylordsville bridge. Portage; the gorge below is class IV-V water. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Spooner Dam Bulls Bridge complex - Kent | Dam / hazard | 41.67611, -73.51144 | Second structure in the Bulls Bridge diversion works. |
| 22 | Bulls Bridge Bulls Bridge Road - Kent | Bridge crossing | 41.67573, -73.50923 | Historic covered bridge over the gorge; parking and river access at the west end. |
| 23 | Route 7 bridge - Gaylordsville US 7 - New Milford | Bridge crossing | 41.66004, -73.49187 | Downstream limit of the Bull's Bridge Trout Management Area, which DEEP also extends up the Ten Mile River to the New York line. |
| 24 | Kent Road river access - Gaylordsville Off US 7 - New Milford | Access / boat ramp | 41.65866, -73.49216 | OSM carries this slipway unnamed; the road and village come from a reverse geocode. |
| 25 | USGS 01200500 - Housatonic River at Gaylordsville United States Geological Survey | USGS gauge | 41.65304, -73.48982 | The reference gauge for this river. |
| 26 | Eleanor and Howard Hunt Nature Preserve Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy | Park / conservation area | 41.61561, -73.45915 | River frontage above New Milford. |
| 27 | Sega Meadows Park Town of New Milford | Park / conservation area | 41.60101, -73.45294 | Riverside town park with trail access to the water. |
| 28 | Boardman Road bridge New Milford | Bridge crossing | 41.59317, -73.44982 | Long-standing access point; the USGS New Milford gauge sits on this crossing. |
| 29 | Route 202 and 67 bridge - New Milford US 202 / Route 67 - New Milford | Bridge crossing | 41.57510, -73.41543 | |
| 30 | Anderson Avenue river access Off Anderson Avenue - New Milford | Access / boat ramp | 41.56447, -73.40797 | OSM carries this slipway unnamed; the road name comes from a reverse geocode. |
| 31 | Bleachery Dam New Milford | Dam / hazard | 41.56576, -73.41134 | DEEP names this dam as the downstream limit of the Housatonic bass management water. |
| 32 | Grove Street river access - Addis Park Off Grove Street - Lanesville, New Milford | Access / boat ramp | 41.55538, -73.40657 | Slipway at the town's Addis Park; OSM carries it unnamed. |
| 33 | Sunny Valley Preserve The Nature Conservancy - Bridgewater | Park / conservation area | 41.51292, -73.38260 | OSM maps the preserve as five separate tracts along Lake Lillinonah; one marker shown. |
| 34 | Bridgewater town launch - Tappen Road Off Tappen Road - Bridgewater | Access / boat ramp | 41.52542, -73.40031 | Slipway at the Bridgewater town park on Lake Lillinonah; OSM carries it unnamed. |
| 35 | Route 133 bridge - Bridgewater Route 133 - Bridgewater / Brookfield | Bridge crossing | 41.48013, -73.35058 | Crossing of Lake Lillinonah. |
| 36 | Lake Lillinonah Boat Launch State of Connecticut - Bridgewater | Access / boat ramp | 41.48022, -73.34885 | State trailer launch. OSM carries three nodes at this site; merged to one. |
| 37 | Lake Lillinonah Park launch Off Hanover Road - Newtown | Access / boat ramp | 41.47139, -73.33252 | Town park slipway; OSM carries the ramp unnamed beside the named park polygon. |
| 38 | River Road canoe access above Shepaug Dam FirstLight - Southbury | Access / boat ramp | 41.45028, -73.29601 | Tagged permissive for canoe use; the road name comes from a reverse geocode. |
| 39 | Shepaug Dam FirstLight - Southbury / Newtown | Dam / hazard | 41.44861, -73.29568 | Head of Lake Zoar. Portage. |
| 40 | Lake Zoar Wildlife Area Southbury | Park / conservation area | 41.42871, -73.23845 | Shoreline wildlife area beside the state launch. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | Lake Zoar Boat Launch State of Connecticut - Southbury | Access / boat ramp | 41.42772, -73.23612 | State trailer launch on Lake Zoar. |
| 42 | Lee Farm Drive canoe access Off Lee Farm Drive - Lakeside, Southbury | Access / boat ramp | 41.43116, -73.22661 | Tagged for canoe use; OSM carries it unnamed. |
| 43 | Kettletown State Park Connecticut DEEP - Southbury | Park / conservation area | 41.42324, -73.20630 | State park on the Lake Zoar shore. |
| 44 | Jackson Cove launch Off Jackson Cove Road - Oxford | Access / boat ramp | 41.41154, -73.19041 | Slipway at the Town of Oxford's Jackson Cove Park; OSM carries the ramp unnamed. |
| 45 | Old Bridge Road river access Off Old Bridge Road - Newtown | Access / boat ramp | 41.39023, -73.18639 | OSM carries this slipway unnamed; the road name comes from a reverse geocode. |
| 46 | Stevenson Dam FirstLight - Monroe / Oxford | Dam / hazard | 41.38334, -73.17135 | Route 34 runs across the dam crest. Foot of Lake Zoar, head of Lake Housatonic. |
| 47 | Lake Housatonic Dam Derby / Shelton | Dam / hazard | 41.32538, -73.10214 | The Derby dam at the foot of Lake Housatonic; head of tidewater. |
| 48 | Bridge Street bridge - Derby to Shelton Derby / Shelton | Bridge crossing | 41.31919, -73.09110 | |
| 49 | O'Sullivan's Island Recreation Park City of Derby | Park / conservation area | 41.31471, -73.08388 | Riverside park at the mouth of the Naugatuck River. |
| 50 | Sow and Pigs Jetty Tidal Housatonic - Derby | Dam / hazard | 41.30899, -73.07650 | Navigation hazard mapped as a training jetty. |
| 51 | Blanchette Sporting Goods Sporting goods - Shelton | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 41.29310, -73.11123 | Independent shop about 2.7 km off the river; the nearest tackle source on the lower reach. |
| 52 | NOAA Fisheries Milford Laboratory Northeast Fisheries Science Center - Milford | Agency / conservation office | 41.21193, -73.05350 | Federal fisheries laboratory near the river mouth. OSM carries five nodes for the campus; merged to one. |
| 53 | Housatonic River Boat Launch State of Connecticut - Milford | Access / boat ramp | 41.20499, -73.10794 | State tidal launch on the Devon reach. |
| 54 | Boardwalk Marina Boat Sales and Rentals Boat rental - Milford | Outfitter / canoe rental | 41.20232, -73.11328 | |
| 55 | Route 1 bridge - Devon US 1 - Milford / Stratford | Bridge crossing | 41.20028, -73.11046 | |
| 56 | Caswell Street canoe access Off Caswell Street - Milford | Access / boat ramp | 41.22209, -73.10696 | Tagged for canoe use, no trailers; OSM carries it unnamed. |
| 57 | Charles E. Wheeler Wildlife Management Area State of Connecticut - Milford | Park / conservation area | 41.18482, -73.10816 | Tidal marsh at the river mouth. |
| 58 | Birdseye Street boat launch Stratford | Access / boat ramp | 41.19034, -73.12141 | OSM names this only 'Boat Launch'; the street comes from a reverse geocode. |
| 59 | Bond's Dock Town of Stratford | Park / conservation area | 41.18604, -73.12275 | Tidal river access park. |
Gauge: USGS 01200500 — HOUSATONIC RIVER AT GAYLORDSVILLE, CT. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Brown Trout, Carp, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass
Regulations: portal.ct.gov/deep/fishing/regulations/fishing-regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Falls Village: the top of the trout management area.
Housatonic Meadows State Park: campground, parking and the best-known trout water.
West Cornwall and the covered bridge: mid-river access and pocket water.
Cornwall Bridge: shops, guides and the bottom of the trout water.
Kent and Bulls Bridge: the transition to smallmouth water.
Gaylordsville: lower river access at the gauge.
New Milford and Lake Lillinonah: the bottom of the smallmouth reach.
April and May: high water, Hendricksons and the strongest trout fishing of the year.
June: the last good trout weeks before it warms; smallmouth start.
July and August: warm water, check thermal refuge closures; excellent smallmouth fishing at dawn.
September through November: cooling water, fall olives, big smallmouth and beautiful weather.