Hooked on Fishing

You can never know for sure what you might pull up from the ocean depths, but it could very well be tuna, fluke, striped bass, flounder, cod, mackerel, or even a shark. There are charter and party fishing boats available up and down the Connecticut coast. You can find a good assortment at CT Sport Fishing, along with tips for chartering a boat and links to other sites of interest.

River Fishing

There are terrific fishing streams all across Connecticut, including some secret spots where native trout can still be found, but a few of the better-known sites for fishing, in general, would be:

• The Salmon River, an eastern tributary of the Connecticut River. The Nature Conservancy says “the fast, cold Salmon River drains a 96,000-acre watershed in 10 towns. Experts have ranked the Salmon as the best example of its river type in Connecticut” and “one of the state’s top trout streams.”
• The West Branch of the Farmington River, especially between Riverton and New Hartford, is said to have the highest trout density of any stretch of river in the state.
• The Housatonic River has been compared to western rivers and is among the finest for trout in the eastern U.S. It has areas dedicated to fly fishing.

Lake and Pond Fishing

Spring not only brings a new fishing season but also the latest edition of the invaluable Fishing Guide, published by the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. It’s a thoroughly up-to-date compilation of the state’s fishing regulations as well as fishing spots. Connecticut has over 180 public lakes and ponds and miles of river streams, you can learn more here.