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 | Colebrook River Lake launch Off the former Route 8 alignment - Colebrook | Access / boat ramp | 42.02200, -73.05046 | Slipway on Colebrook River Lake; OSM carries it unnamed and the road name comes from a reverse geocode. |
| 2 | Colebrook River Dam US Army Corps of Engineers - Colebrook | Dam / hazard | 42.00611, -73.03645 | Head of the tailwater. |
| 3 | Durst Road access above Goodwin Dam Off Durst Road - Robertsville, Hartland | Access / boat ramp | 41.98963, -73.02301 | Slipway on the Goodwin impoundment; OSM carries it unnamed. |
| 4 | Goodwin Dam Hartland - also known as Hogback Dam | Dam / hazard | 41.99049, -73.01967 | Upstream limit of Section 1 of the Farmington River Trout Management Area, which DEEP defines from this dam down to the old footbridge abutments in Barkhamsted. The tailwater below it is what keeps this river cold all summer. |
| 5 | Durst Road bridge Hartland | Bridge crossing | 41.98982, -73.01834 | First crossing below Goodwin Dam. |
| 6 | Route 20 bridge - Riverton Route 20, Main Street - Barkhamsted | Bridge crossing | 41.96281, -73.01744 | The Riverton village crossing, just above the Still River mouth. |
| 7 | USGS 01186000 - West Branch Farmington River at Riverton United States Geological Survey | USGS gauge | 41.96276, -73.01758 | The reference gauge for this river; read it before committing to the tailwater. |
| 8 | Old footbridge abutments - TMA Section 1 and 2 boundary Barkhamsted - signed by DEEP | Regulation section limit | 41.94228, -73.01248 | DEEP puts the abutments about 1.4 miles below the Still River mouth; this marker is that distance measured down the mapped centreline. Section 2 runs from here to the Route 219 bridge. |
| 9 | Austin F. Hawes Memorial Campground Connecticut DEEP - American Legion State Forest | Campsite | 41.93493, -73.00304 | The one riverside campground on the tailwater. |
| 10 | Peoples State Forest Nature Museum Peoples State Forest - Barkhamsted | Park / conservation area | 41.92554, -72.99677 | Trailhead and parking on the east bank; open weekends, late May to mid-October. |
| 11 | Ever Flowing Spring Peoples State Forest - Barkhamsted | Spring | 41.92314, -73.00079 | Named spring in the state forest above the river. |
| 12 | Routes 181 and 318 bridge - Pleasant Valley Routes 181 / 318 - Barkhamsted | Bridge crossing | 41.91271, -72.98784 | The Pleasant Valley crossing in the middle of the trout water. |
| 13 | Route 219 bridge - New Hartford Route 219, Reservoir Road - New Hartford | Bridge crossing | 41.87838, -72.97723 | DEEP's boundary between Sections 2 and 3 of the Farmington River Trout Management Area. |
| 14 | Route 44 bridge - New Hartford US 44, Main Street - New Hartford | Bridge crossing | 41.87751, -72.97757 | |
| 15 | Callahan Park New Hartford Village Fire District | Park / conservation area | 41.87853, -72.97493 | Riverside park in New Hartford village. |
| 16 | Black Bridge Road bridge New Hartford | Bridge crossing | 41.87815, -72.96461 | Last crossing above the East Branch confluence. |
Gauge: USGS 01186000 — WEST BRANCH FARMINGTON RIVER AT RIVERTON, CT. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Atlantic Salmon, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, 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.
Riverton - the gauge reach and the top of the cold release water.
Peoples State Forest - extensive public frontage on the upper river.
American Legion State Forest - public access along River Road.
Whittemore Road - access to the catch-and-release section.
Pleasant Valley - middle river access and parking.
New Hartford - the lower river and the main Farmington confluence.
Route 181 pullouts - roadside access through the trout management area.
Spring: strong flows, Hendrickson and caddis hatches and the busiest stocking season.
Summer: cold release water when every other river is too warm to fish.
Fall: blue-winged olives, spawning browns and excellent uncrowded conditions.
Winter: open and fishable through most of the season thanks to the release.