Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook reports that the panfish continue to get more aggressive as the water temperatures start to climb into the 40’s. With no closed Connecticut season, spring trout fishing is in full swing, with most anglers finding success on small spinners or on the troll. Largemouth bass are taking jigs, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits, while northern pike are starting to enter pre-spawn mode and are feeding quite actively. Carp anglers have been doing very well in the lakes and Connecticut River, especially in the warmer/shallower pools. The warmer areas of the lakes and rivers are producing best, so look for warmer feeder creeks and/or the northern portions of lakes that receive more sun. The warmer times of day in the afternoons have also been best, but it won’t be long until the time of day doesn’t matter much. Saltwater fishing across CT hasn’t gotten going just yet, but the typical holdover striped bass spots are starting to produce well, and we should have river herring right around the corner.
The guys at Bobby Js in Milford are seeing a continuous increase in trout fishing, with no closed season and continued stocking by the DEEP. The recent warmer weather has really helped the holdover striped bass bite in the Housatonic, and we should start to see some bigger fish as the river herring trickle in over the coming weeks. Soft plastics on jigs continue to produce, but the fish have also started to hit some larger offerings such as SP Minnows and Mag Darters.
Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that most of the local fishing remains focused on either trout or striped bass. The local trout rivers have been well-stocked and are producing on flies, lures, and bait. Most of the local hotspots have been producing, with solid reports from the Saugatuck, Mill, Aspetuck and the Norwalk River. The holdover striped bass fishing continues to improve in the Housatonic, and a 70+ degree forecast on Friday should really wake things up for the weekend!
Fishing Forecast
While the forecasted temperatures over 70 degrees this Friday is likely to be an outlier compared to the coming weeks, it should really do a lot to help continue to kick the spring fishing into gear this weekend. Connecticut trout fishing should be excellent, with the lakes and ponds warming up and the streams cleaning up this week. Other freshwater options include panfish, largemouth, pre-spawn pike and carp, all of which should just continue to improve in the coming days/weeks. Holdover striped bass will undoubtedly become more active in the tidal rivers across Rhode Island and CT this weekend, and we may even start to hear of the first confirmed river herring or two by this time next week.