Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
Fishing
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Two estuarine/marine species of silversides exist in Connecticut. Both are schooling fish that occasionally enter freshwater areas of coastal rivers and streams.
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Relatively small, silvery fishes with a very slender, cylindrical shape.
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Smelt are important forage fish for large pelagic predators such as striped bass in estuaries and brown trout in lakes.
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Rainbow trout seldom survive the summer in Connecticut and natural reproduction is rare.
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Where numerous, rainwater killifish are thought to be an effective control of mosquito larvae.
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Striped mullet support important commercial fisheries in Southern states. Smaller fish are sold as bait.
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As with hybrids between many fish species, tiger trout tend to be more aggressive and faster-growing than either parent species.
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Although relatively feeble fighters on rod and reel, walleye are an esteemed game and food fish throughout their range.
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An esteemed food and sport fish in Europe, it's unclear how the tench will affect Connecticut's freshwater ecosystems.
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Freshwater populations exist as far south as Massachusetts, but none are known in Connecticut.
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Sometimes bury themselves in the sand with only eyes and tail tips exposed. Can be easily captured with small-mesh dip net or seine.
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Striped bass grow large and are arguably the most important inshore predator and sport fish in the state.
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Perches are distributed throughout temperate fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere. However, all of the many species of diminutive darters are native only to North America.
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Yellow perch are one of the state’s most popular panfishes. They actively feed during the winter, making them a staple for ice anglers.
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Two native and one introduced pike species exist in Connecticut. All members of the family are predacious, primarily feeding on fish.