CT Outdoor Guide Books
Fishing, Hunting, Trapping, and Boating
Being a responsible user of the Connecticut outdoors means staying informed of, and complying with, the current laws and regulations.
Connecticut DEEP's outdoor field guides make it easy to find and follow the laws and regulations that apply to you. And now, Connecticut's Fishing and Hunting Guides are online in an easy-to-use ebook version. The digital formats will allow you to quickly check a regulation, confirm legal hunting hours, look up best practices and more – from anywhere, anytime. Stay tuned! Printed hunting and fishing guides will be scaled back and available in limited quantities (learn more).
Visit our Online Outdoor Licensing System to purchase licenses, permits, and stamps, and check hunter safety and boating certifications.
Connecticut Fishing Guide
Please Note: Due to pending changes to the freshwater sportfishing regulations resulting from the passage of Public Act 21-12 in May of 2021, the Fishing Guide will not be printed in 2022. All freshwater sportfishing regulations remain the same as they were in 2021 (as of April 13, 2022). We expect to have the proposed regulations before the Legislative Regulations Review Committee during summer 2022. We will keep you posted as soon as the changes are codified. For now, the 2021 guide can provide you with current freshwater regulations. For up to date summaries of the regulations, please refer to the ebook versions (links provided below). Questions about the regulations may be sent to mike.beauchene@ct.gov
- ebook version of the Freshwater Fishing Guide or simple summary pamphlet
- ebook version of the Saltwater Fishing Guide or summary sheet for recreational fishing regulations
- 2021 Connecticut Fishing Guide (freshwater and saltwater)
- 2021 Spanish Fishing Guide
- CT Fishing main webpage
2022 Connecticut Hunting and Trapping Guide
- ebook version of the 2022 Hunting and Trapping Guide
- Downloadable PDF of the 2022 Hunting and Trapping Guide
- Downloadable PDF of the 2022-Guía-de-caza-y-captura-de-Connecticut
- 2022 Season Summary Quick Reference
- Private Land Consent Form (Deer/Turkey)
- 2022 Deer/Turkey Harvest Tags
- Tagging and Reporting Deer/Turkey Harvests
- 2022 Public Hunting Area List
- 2022 Sunrise/Sunset Table
- Hunting and Trapping Information
- Pheasant Hunting
- Online Hunter Reporting
- Private Land Consent Form (Trapping)
- CT Hunting and Trapping main webpage
Connecticut Migratory Bird Hunting Guide
- The 2022-2023 Connecticut Migratory Bird Hunting Guide will be available in summer 2022.
Boater's Guide
- PDF version of 2022 Boater's Guide
- Digital book format
- Spanish version of the 2022 Boater's Guide
- CT Boater's Guide webpage
- Boating and Paddling main webpage
Other Related Information
- State Parks and Forests
- Trout Stocking Maps
- Trout Stocking Report
- Public Hunting Area Maps and Information
- Hunting Roadmaps
- FAQs About Hunting
- Outdoor Safety Tips
- Registered Hunting and Fishing Guide List
- Snapping Turtle Harvest Regulations
In 2020, we printed over 200,000 fishing and hunting guides, of which very few were distributed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many outdoor users learned how to use the DEEP website to find their information. With over 70% of the U.S. population currently using smartphones, our agency's mission clearly directed us to make a shift to reduce waste. And, while we are still printing some fishing and hunting guides (available at most town clerks, DEEP offices, and license agent locations in limited quantities), we are asking you to do your part and make use of the convenient and responsible digital options.
Content last updated in April 2022.