Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me with the water temps creeping towards 50 out in the sound, he is starting to hear of a few spring tog and winter flounder reports. Neither fishery has really taken off yet, but we shouldn’t be too far away. The Housatonic holdover striped bass action has been improving, and there have been some better fish in the mix. There is still some trout fishing happening in the southern part of the state, while yellow perch, bass, and large crappie are all biting well and rounding out the freshwater bite.
Andrew, at Fishin Factory 3 in Middletown said that he has been selling a good number of sandworms to customers heading to the DEEP dock to catch their first school striped bass of the year. Some herring and shad have likely started making their way up the river, but the main upper river focus remains on pike, largemouth and white perch. Trout action has been strong across the state, with Black Pond and the Salmon River being two of the local hotspots. The shop is now back on the summer schedule and will be open 7 days a week.
Jason at Bobby Js in Milford is starting to hear of a bit more blackfish interest from local anglers, but the reports have been on the quiet side with the water temperatures being a bit low. The striped bass action in the Housatonic has improved, as the fish have spread out and can be caught from the mouth to the dam. The herring are starting to filter in, which should directly correlate to better activity and larger bass. The trout fishing has been strong wherever stockings have occurred, and the shop is now open full time with all your bait and tackle needs.
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 bait, rooster tails, and small jigs. Most of the local hotspots have been producing, with solid reports from the Saugatuck, Mill, and Mianus Rivers. The holdover striped bass fishing continues to improve in the Housatonic despite some cooler temperatures, with the first push of river herring starting to trickle into the rivers and creeks. Fish in the mid-teens to 20-pounds are becoming more common, and the numbers should increase exponentially with the temperatures starting to climb this week.
Fishing Forecast
Some early blooms, circling ospreys, and some much more encouraging forecasts finally have things starting to feel like spring. Despite the cooler temperatures, the spring fishing across the northeast is steadily improving. Connecticut trout fishing has been excellent, with the lakes and ponds continuing to get hearty stockings, and the same should be the case for Rhode Island when we make it to the opener this coming Saturday. Other freshwater options include panfish, largemouth, pike and carp, all of which should just continue to improve in the coming days/weeks. Holdover striped bass also took a step forward in tidal rivers across Rhode Island and CT this week, with multiple reports of steady action and a few pods of river herring undoubtedly starting to show up. We likely need a small rise in ocean temps before we start seeing better tautog and flounder reports, but that could/should happen pretty quickly this time of year.