Connecticut Fishing Report- April 27, 2023

(Above) Matt Stone (@sunrisekayakfishing) put together a steady catch of tautog from his kayak on the Long Island Sound this week.

Connecticut Fishing Report

Matt, at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook, told me that things were pretty similar to last week in the local fishing game. Part of that is due to Sunday’s rain, which put a bit of a halt on the spring run striper bite in the river, but it’s also due to a steady increase in water temperatures that has kept the spring fishing bite heading in the right direction. Matt was able to get out for tautog this week and had quite a bit of success in 35 to 40 feet of water. Both crabs and clams were getting the job done and he heard reports from as shallow as 15 feet, so anglers should be able to score some nice catches on the final weekend of the spring CT season. School striped bass have been waking up nicely, and the angler’s dunking sandworms in the tidal rivers are finding some better fish. All signs point to a nice spring run around the herring runs once the rivers clean up from the recent rain. In the freshwater, Matt has seen another increase in topwater action this week. The largemouth still appear to be in the pre-spawn mode, so jigs are producing well, but slowly worked poppers, spinnerbaits, and Senkos have all gotten the job done this week. Anglers looking for panfish reporting active bluegill on beds near the banks, while the crappie bite has gone from decent to red-hot in all locales.  

Heather from Black Hawk Sportfishing reports that it’s finally time to go fishing! They will be starting this weekend with their popular squid trips. These trips tend to fill up fast, but they plan on adding more dates, so be sure to check their website. Their porgy trips will also start up next week, and those tickets are also available on their website. They are also starting to book dates for their private charters, so check in with Heather soon if you’re looking for a specific date.  

Captain Mike Roy, at Reel Cast Charters reports that things have remained pretty consistent for his crew this week. The water has gotten a bit dirty since the rain of last weekend, but temperatures have remained steady, and they are still catching good numbers of school to slot-class fish. The best action is still coming on soft plastics on jig heads, but we should start seeing more topwater action as things continue to warm this week. Be sure to check in with Captain Mike to schedule a trip, and if you make it to the CT Spring Boat Show this Saturday, Mike will be giving his last seminar of the season! 

Dan, at Dan’s Bait, Tackle and Charters in New London reports that anglers continue to find good saltwater and freshwater fishing across eastern CT. Freshwater anglers had to battle some high flows, but things are settling down and the trout anglers are still scoring good catches. Anglers are reporting their best results on orange powerbait and/or red trout worms. Crappie and bluegill fishing has also been very strong for anglers fishing microjigs tipped with plastic tails around the grassbeds. Largemouth bass activity has been consistent, and the pre-spawn bite seems to starting to materialize nicely. Saltwater anglers are now finding keeper tautog from points all across the sound, and they will have one more chance to cash in this weekend before the Spring season closes. There are still some stripers to be had throughout the tidal rivers, especially if you can locate some herring, and we shouldn’t be too far away from fresh arrivals throughout the sound.  

Bobby J’s Bait and Tackle in Milford reports that stripers and blackfish have continued to keep local anglers busy. Striper fishing was very strong before the rain, and while the high flows have moved them around, they are still out there. If the estuaries are still blown out this weekend, don’t be afraid to work the beaches around the mouth of said estuaries. Blackfish action has been good across the board, so anglers should have no problem finding a limit across multiple depths before the season closes.  

Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reports that fishing remains consistent despite the rain last weekend. The holdover striped bass seem to be spreading out, and anglers are having success in the rivers as well as along the shallow mud flats around the rivers. Worms are producing very well, along with the usual go to artificials; soft plastics on jigheads and small swimming plugs. Anglers working the upper stretches of the Housatonic are finding some better holdover fish hot on the tail of the river herring, and they could be fooled with some larger offerings. Flounder reports remained quiet this week, but the tautog fishing has been strong for anglers working both the shallow rockpiles and deeper wrecks across the Western Sound. Local trout fishing is still going strong in most of the local streams as the flows start to settle, and the Saugatuck Reservoir is now open and is garnering some interest from anglers searching for trout, smallmouth, and walleye.  

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Connecticut Fishing Forecast

Connecticut anglers continue to see improved holdover striped bass fishing as more herring enter the rivers, and the shallow flats are warming up and drawing the attention of some hungry bass. Anglers are starting to catch on sandworms, with the bigger fish still coming after dark. The recent rains put a damper on what should have been a good topwater week in the rivers, but things are starting to clean up, so fingers crossed that it starts to go off soon. Shad reports had started to improve but have also been halted a bit due to the high flows. The sound temps have come up to a point where anglers are finding tautog in multiple locations, and across multiple depths. Unfortunately, the season ends April 30th, but we have a few more days to cash in! Trout fishing is picking back up with the rivers settling, while pre-spawn largemouth and a strong crappie bite are rounding out the freshwater catches.