Connecticut Fishing Report
Update: 3/27
With warmer weather taking hold throughout Connecticut, freshwater fishing opportunties have dramatically increased. Big largemouth and smallmouth bass are putting on the feed bags, and they’re being caught on a variety of moving baits and bottom baits, from blades and jerkbaits to Ned rigs and jigs. Meanwhile, panfish like perch and crappie are being caught on micro plastics and suspending presentations, like the float and fly rig, around structure like grass beds, downed trees, and ledges/drop-offs.
Consistent trout fishing continues in the rivers, but regulations require anglers to catch-and-release only until 6 a.m. on Saturday, April 12, except for in TMLs, sea-run streams, and tidal waters. Insect hatches are becoming commonplace during spells of warm weather, especially after the mild rains we’ve experienced recently, which bodes well for fly fishermen on the rivers and streams.
Holdover striper activity is also on the rise. Herring sightings are increasing in the rivers with each passing day, and with the spring tautog season opener less than a week away, CT anglers are juggling plenty of options between salt and fresh water heading into April. After a long and icy winter, it’s shaping up to be a great spring in the Consitution State!
Matt Stone at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook said holdover stripers are active and the water is steadily creeping up toward the 50-degree mark, but it’s not quite there yet. Soft plastics and smaller swimming plugs are still the key to success for those resident fish, but that should change as more herring continue to filter in. Freshwater fishing has been really good, with a lot of fish coming from 15 feet of water or less. Matt’s been finding success by slow-rolling paddletails low in the water column while other bass anglers have been catching on hair jigs, football jigs, and even square bill crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Bass and trout are on the prowl and have shown a willingness to chase moving baits and bottom baits, so swing by the shop to restock your tackle trays while the freshwater bite is hot.
Anthony at Game On Lures reported: “The spring bite has fully commenced! Warmer weather and mild rains have sent water temps up pretty quickly, so the fish have been on the move. The pre-spawn largemouth/smallmouth bite has been lights-out so far in the lakes around the state. The river was also producing a solid bite until this recent storm turned everything to chocolate milk. Jerkbaits, crankbaits, blade baits, Ned rigs, and jigs or hair jigs have been producing the best numbers and size recently. Anglers looking to target panfish have had success tossing micro jigs with soft plastics, or float and fly rigs around submerged cover such as trees, docks and sea walls. I’ve heard more and more reports of herring flooding into the rivers and backwaters, so fingers crossed things kick off a little early this season! Some of the best fishing of the year happens in the next couple months, so make sure you’re ready. If you’re ever hesitant about getting out alone, make sure to contact Josh Rayner (CT Fish Nerd) for a guided kayak trip to target just about anything you want!”
Captain Joe Diorio of Diorio Guide Service said trout fishing has been fantastic on the rivers this week. He had just completed a guided trip when we spoke and in his words, “it was a pretty insane bite.” They landed over 30 fish and lost 10 or 15 more during the fight. Most of the fish they’re catching are brown trout—Joe said they caught only 3 or 4 rainbows. The best fishing has occurred while drifting egg imitations like the Pautzke Natural Deluxe, but in the recently-stocked TMAs, Joe said, small paddletails are working great. Give him a shout to book a guided trip on the trout streams while the getting is good—he’ll be shifting his focus to the upcoming saltwater fishing season soon!
Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reported that striped bass fishing is picking up in the local harbors, estuaries, beaches, and tidal rivers. Stripers are being caught on sandworms, bloodworms, and soft plastics like Lunker City paddletails and Slug-gos, Gravity Tackle paddletails, as well as small minnow plugs. The upper Housy is yielding larger fish on SP minnows, Mag Darters, and Rapalas, which closely imitate the river herring that have been trickling in over the past several weeks. Fish to 40 inches and over are being caught at night, but it is possible to connect with a big one during the day. Boosting your profile with an 8- or 9-inch paddletail will help to weed out some of the schoolies during the day. Meanwhile, local rivers like the Mianus and Aspetuck were just recently stocked with trout and have been fishing well, but keep in mind that trout fishing is catch and release only until 6 a.m. on the second Saturday in April. Whether you’re going for trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, or holdover stripers, stop by the shop to check out their selection and re-up on productive lures before your next outing.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Freshwater and new saltwater fishing opportunities are plentiful as we approach the finish line of March. At this time, anglers stand to find the best bites in fresh water, where trout and largemouth/smallmouth bass are being caught on a variety of artificials. Brown, rainbow, and even brook trout are taking egg imitations and small paddletails in the rivers that are not exclusive to spin fishing. Fly anglers casting dry flies, nymphs, Woolly Buggers and other small streamers should find consistent action from trout as slightly warmer water temperatures and insect hatches encourage them to feed. Remember that trout fishing is catch-and-release only until 6 a.m. on the second Saturday of April per CT DEEP freshwater fishing regulations except for trout management lakes (TMLs), sea-run streams, and tidal waters.
If you’re looking for a potential personal-best bass, there’s no shortage of trophy-class largemouth and surprisingly chunky smallmouth bass Connecticut’s many lakes and ponds. The pre-spawn bite is still heating up, so it may take a little time to decipher what the bass are eating and which lures they’ll react to. Keep a mix of jerkbaits, chatterbaits, blade baits, crankbaits, and swimbaits on hand, as well as subtle bottom presentations like jigs and Ned rigs in case they’re lethargic and hugging bottom. If the bass don’t cooperate, you can target panfish like perch, crappie, and sunfish with micro plastics, small marabou jigs, and float-and-fly rigs.
Holdover striper action is slowly but surely trickling into coastal areas after the fish spent the winter stacked up beneath ice in the rivers. In harbors and estuaries, as well as a few beachfront areas of the Western Sound, eager anglers are catching resident schoolies on sandworms, bloodworms, swim shads, and small minnow plugs. Larger fish are around, and your odds of hooking one will increase by fishing at night and in areas that receive a herring run. Bump up the size of your presentation, whether it’s a paddletail or minnow plug, to better imitate those full-grown river herring as they continue to file in.
Spring tautog season is right around the corner! The tog bite may be very spotty during opening week, as they tend to chew once water temperatures approach 50 degrees, but check with your local shop to see if they’re carrying green crabs. Sea worms and clams are also good spring tautog baits, especially when the fish are finicky. Use smaller hooks for these soft baits and focus on fishing shallow, rocky areas like boulder piles and jetties, or up in the rivers along bulkheads, piers, and bridge pilings.
Our weekly Connecticut Fishing Reports will resume next week, and the fishing is only going to get better from here. Grab a rod and get out there to shake the rust off before the saltwater season is in full swing.
Connecticut Fishing Report
March 13
After a longer-than-average ice fishing season, which was nice while it lasted, Connecticut anglers are looking at open water opportunities for the duration of the spring. Trout fishing has been excellent in the streams and rivers, and with lakes and ponds free of ice, bass fishing is improving for anglers throwing low-profile bottom baits such as Ned Rigs, and moving baits like suspending jerkbaits and bladed jigs. Meanwhile, reports of river herring are beginning to trickle in as ospreys return to coastal areas and rivers, which has led to an uptick in activity from holdover striped bass.
Matt Stone at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook said the ponds are free of ice and open water abounds! He got out earlier this week in his kayak to target holdover stripers. Matt said the water temperature was hovering in the upper 30s and that he was catching them by slowly trolling around; however, there were a handful of guys catching stripers by snap jigging small paddletails and flukes. In fresh water, fishing for trout, bass, and crappie has really picked up with the warmer weather as of late. Hair jigs from Josh Rayner (CT Fish Nerd) have been flying off shelves and catching good numbers of fish. In addition to hair jigs worked low and slow, Matt said inline spinners and deep-diving jerkbaits worked slowly with long pauses have been key producers in cold water for trout, bass, and panfish.
Anthony at Game On Lures reported: “With spring finally showing itself and temps warming up, most of the lakes in the state have open water! The options of what to target are endless this time of year, with everything from crappie to stripers available. Anglers looking to target stripers have had success in the rivers with large soft plastics at low light hours. One of my favorite bites of the year is the ice out largemouth/smallmouth bite. After finally having a proper winter, these fish are fired up and hungry. A jerkbait, crankbait, hair jig and football jig are some of my favorite ice out baits. For anglers looking to target panfish, the bite has been hot with small plastics and jigs. Spring is in the air, so make sure you get all the gear ready and get out there!”
Captain Joe Diorio of Diorio Guide Service said he’s been fishing every day recently and the results have been excellent. He has been targeting trout on the Farmington, Hockanum, and Hammonasset rivers; the Farmington is giving up a mix of quality brown and rainbow trout, while the Hockanum and Hammonasset are yielding good numbers of bows and brookies. With the more mild temperatures that have taken hold in Connecticut, Joe said the best results have been minnow-style paddletails, like the 2.5-inch Pautzke Fire Minnows, on light jigheads. He added that there was some good action from trout on egg sacs during a guided trip earlier this week on the Farmington, but the fish are definitely feeding more aggressively now and willing to chase down finesse-style minnow baits. He’ll be targeting trout in the rivers for the duration of March before taking some time off in April and prepping the boats and gear for the saltwater season ahead. Give him a shout to book a trip while the bite is hot!
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Fisherman’s World in Norwalk reported that they’re seeing the holdover striper bite improve with warmer water temperatures now that the rivers are free of ice. Anglers fishing the Housy are catching mostly schoolie-size bass with the occasional larger bass mixed in, and even though there’s plenty of open water, it’s been a bit of a grind. Soft plastic paddletails in the 5- to 7-inch range, as well as Gravity Tackle eels, are working well. The key is to cover water by slow rolling your offering along bottom to trigger strikes from lethargic bass. There have been more reports of herring starting to show up locally as well, and as more arrive and water temperatures rise, the striper fishing will continue to improve.
Jason at Bobby J’s Bait and Tackle in Milford reported an uptick in action in the recently stocked trout management areas now that there’s been some consistently mild weather. However, a majority of anglers have been focused on the improving holdover striper bite in Connecticut’s rivers. Jason said he likes to throw 9-inch soft plastics, but 5- and 6-inch paddletails work well and in some cases, the smaller offerings are more likely to produce a bite. In addition to holdovers, there’s good freshwater bass fishing to be had; he went out the other day and had 3 solid smallmouth bass make it to the boat, all of which were caught on Megabass suspending jerkbaits. They focused on fishing areas between 8 and 17 feet deep, with long pauses between each snap of the rod to give the fish time to come off bottom and eat.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
For the best bet to bend a rod over the next couple of weeks, anglers are encouraged to fish for trout in the rivers. With more mild spring weather on the way, aquatic insect hatches will begin to occur with some regularity to the pleasure of fly fishermen. However, in the TMAs that are not exclusive fly fishing, small, soft-plastic paddletails and curly-tail grubs are producing good numbers of brown, brook, and rainbow trout. Remember that trout fishing statewide is catch-and-release only until 6 a.m. on the second Saturday of April per CT DEEP freshwater fishing regulations.
Fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass is also a great way to wet a line this month. Water temperatures are still very cold, so slow-moving presentations like Ned rigs, hair jigs, and suspending jerkbaits are key producers. Finesse-style paddletails and micro plastics will also get looks, and as largemouth bass begin to move into shallow coves and flats as the month progresses and water temps climb, they’ll be searching for bigger baits. Yellow perch patterns excel this time of year, as they spawn in the early spring and satiate the appetites of big, hungry largemouth.
Lastly, with river herring beginning to show up, fishing for holdover striped bass is likely to improve from here. And while more bait might insinuate better fishing, mild springtime conditions will also lead to an influx in fishing pressure. Be selective when choosing your spots and baits to improve your odds of hooking up, and there’s a significant increase in water temperatures, fish low and slow.
We’re just a few weeks out from the spring tautog season in Long Island Sound! Until then, enjoy some of the excellent freshwater fishing opportunities the Constitution State has to offer.
Thanks for reading and good luck out there.