Establishment and Assessment of Walleye Fisheries
Walleye are one of the most popular gamefish in North America. They grow to a large size, can be caught throughout the year using a variety of techniques, and are known for their exquisite flavor. Walleye are also efficient pelagic predators that play an important role in enhancing balanced fish populations and quality fisheries.
The lakes stocked with juvenile Walleye in 2025 were
- Batterson Park Pond, Farmington
- Beach Pond, Voluntown
- Coventry Lake (Wangumbaug Lake), Coventry
- Gardner Lake, Salem
- Lake Pocotapaug*, East Hampton
- Lake Saltonstall*, East Haven
- Lake Zoar, Derby-Oxford
- Long Pond, North Stonington
- Mashapaug Lake, Union
- Mt. Tom Pond, Litchfield-Washington
- Saugatuck Reservoir*, Redding-Weston
- Squantz Pond, New Fairfield
*Walleye stocked into these waters were purchased by the respective water company or the Town of East Hampton.
The Fisheries Division began stocking fingerling walleyes in 1993 to diversify the State's recreational fisheries. The initial lakes were selected because they were best suited for walleye, and have marginal trout habitat and abundant forage fish populations. The first waters selected included Gardner Lake (Salem) and Squantz Pond (New Fairfield). Due to the popularity of the program, two water companies initiated stocking walleye into Lake Saltonstall (Branford) and Saugatuck Reservoir (Weston).
In 2001, the Fisheries Division expanded to Batterson Park Pond (Farmington); Beach Pond (Voluntown); Coventry Lake (Coventry), and Mashapaug Lake (Union). Most recently, walleye fingerlings were stocked into Lake Zoar (Monroe-Oxford in 2011) and ,starting in 2012, Mt. Tom Pond (Litchfield), Cedar Lake (Chester), and West Thompson Reservoir (Thompson). Cedar Lake and West Thompson Lake were stocked for over 10 consecutive years, but as of 2023 stocking was discontinued.
Walleye populations in these lakes are completely supported by annual fall stockings of 4- to 6-inch fingerlings purchased from a commercial supplier located in the Midwest. Currently, the state stocks more than 10,000 fingerlings into 9 public lakes. An additional 5,000-8,000 fingerlings are stocked by South Central Regional Water Authority (Lake Saltonstall) and Aquarion Water Company (Saugatuck Reservoir) into their lakes that allow fishing through permit access. Statewide walleye regulations in Connecticut are an 18-inch minimum size limit and a 2-fish daily creel limit.
Assessment of Walleye Fisheries
The objectives for the Walleye Management are:
- Maintain quality fisheries in the Walleye Management Lakes through stocking and effective management.
- Evaluate the effects of stocking rates on Walleye growth and abundance.
- Evaluate the performance of larger 7-inch fingerlings relative to 5-inch fingerlings in selected lakes.
- Continue to evaluate the effectiveness of current regulations in maintaining quality Walleye fisheries.
- Identify additional lakes that are likely to support successful Walleye fisheries.
Findings regarding work completed by the Fisheries Division with Walleye can be found in the State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Bureau of Natural Resources Fisheries Division's Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Annual Performance Report – 4/1/2024 to 3/31/2025 pages 253-263.
Trophy fish awards of walleye catches greater than 23 inches (released) or greater than 6 pounds (kept) have been awarded to anglers from every lake stocked with walleye (since 2001). Most trophy fish awards have come from Lake Saltonstall and Squantz Pond. Check out the link on our Facebook page to see how the Fisheries Division uses electrofishing techniques to sample walleye populations. The Fisheries Division is continually exploring new options to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of this program with a priority to assess angler harvest rates to ensure that current walleye regulations are adequate to sustain quality fishing.
Please contact the Fisheries Division with any questions.
Phone: 860-424-FISH (3474)
E-mail: deep.inland.fisheries@ct.gov
Content last updated December 2025