Connecticut Fishing Report
Matt Stone at Black Hall Outfitters in Westbrook told me that there are still a few hardcore guys who are trailering to Rhode Island to cash in on some more tog when the weather is right. Locally, there continue to be decent catches of stripers around the tidal creek mouths and these fish are typically 30 inches and under (sometimes way under), so your best bet is to think small; small paddletails, jerk shads, jerkbaits and swimming plugs like Mag Darters. There have even been a few bass on the local reefs, but it remains to be seen if they will stick around after this cold blast we’re experiencing, so stay tuned. Trout fishing in local freshwater ponds is providing good and reliable action.
Heather from the Black Hawk in Niantic provided the following report: “When we were able to get out, we saw some good fishing! On Wednesday, the hungry jumbo sea bass couldn’t stay away as we produced a boat limit. We also had a nice showing of scup, as well as plenty of ling and bergalls to fill in the gaps. Friday was even better and was easily one of the top 3 nicest December days we’ve ever seen on the Black Hawk. The morning temperatures were chilly, but hey, it is December after all! The XL sea bass were waiting for us, and again, we made quick work of a full boat limit. Most anglers were even releasing keeper-sized fish to keep the true jumbos! Saturday showed lots of ling, with sea bass and even a few porgies in the mix. A reminder that trips this time of year are very weather dependent, so get your tickets ahead of time so we can contact you in case of any weather-related concerns. We are hoping to get out there a few more times before the season ends. We still have gift certificates available for holiday gifts; just give the office a call and we can get one out to you. Also, as always, a reminder for this holiday season to shop local; don’t forget to support the tackle shops, toy stores, book stores, restaurants and other places that support our community! We look forward to fishing with you.”
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Captain Mike Roy at Reel Cast Charters said there are still bass actively feeding outside of tidal creeks in the river, where stripers tend to holdover. He said those fish are biting well on small to medium soft plastics. His season wrapped up last week and he’s already booking for 2026, so give a call to book your spot!
Anthony Charnetski from Game On Lures provided the following report for the week: “Holdover stripers have been fattening up on herring and shad in the holdover rivers and are providing steady action for anglers looking to fish some open water. It seems like we got a good push of herring and the bass have finally corralled the stragglers that were roaming around the mouths of the rivers. Small paddletails, jerkbaits, and A-Rigs have been producing phenomenal results. The 3.5-inch DuraTech paddletails are working well when the fish are being finicky. On the freshwater side of things, it’s looking like another year of safe ice! Frigid temps are starting to settle in, and the ice fishing gear is coming out. As always, make sure you take all the necessary safety precautions and remember, it’s best to check out early ice with a buddy. The southern and central portions of the state still have some time before safe ice takes hold, but there is already plenty of safe ice to the north.”
Max at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk said that most of the talk around the shop lately has been about the striped bass. There are still fish in the Sound, although it’s been almost exclusively a shore bite; Long Beach has been a good spot to focus on, as waves of stripers move into the river. Local harbors and estuaries are also holding bass; Norwalk Harbor has seen a few good days. The main event though, is the Housatonic River, where the action has been very good. Fish can be found from the mouth up to where the river forks. There have been good numbers of larger fish in the low-20-pound class in the northern reaches of the river and, while most of the fish are being caught on soft plastics on leadheads, some guys are hooking up on slender swimmers like the Yo-Zuri LC Minnow. The only other game in town has been the trout fishing, which really seemed to turn on this week in most of the local streams/rivers that were recently stocked.
Connecticut Fishing Forecast
Saltwater anglers across Connecticut are still looking to striped bass to scratch the itch, both on some of the beaches and in the tidal rivers. The widespread blitzes across the western part of the state have slowed down, but the beaches are still holding some large schools of fish at times. Many of these bass are likely making the trek to the Housatonic for the winter and can be intercepted on the way. The increased activity this week has come from the tidal rivers, especially the ones that support large holdover populations. The Housatonic will be the main draw, with reports being strong from the mouth all the way to O’Sullivan’s Island. Anglers tossing larger soft plastics on jigs after dark are finding holdovers as big as 20-pounds in the northern stretches. Freshwater anglers have been able to get out on some safe “fishable” ice in the northwest corner, as well as some of the smaller bodies of water to the east/northeast. It looks like a warm-up may be coming in about a week, but in the meantime, it’s going to remain cold, and there may be some hardwater opportunities this weekend. The trout and salmon stocked rivers are also going to be popular destinations, especially when that patch of mild weather moves in.