Freshwater Fishing Guide


How to Use the Online Fishing Guide

The blue links on the left menu are the "table of contents" for the Online Fishing Guide; use them to find the appropriate information.  

Please note that the purpose of the Fishing Guide is to provide a summary of the more important rules and regulations governing sport fishing in Connecticut and to assist in the enjoyment of the angling experience. For legal purposes, the Regulations and State Statutes must be consulted.

 

 

Useful Links For Freshwater Fishing

Get your Fishing License

Fish Consumption Advisory

Annual Fish Stocking Report

Bait and Tackle Shops

Freshwater Fishing in Connecticut main page

Official Sport Fishing Regulations for the Inland District

Message from the Director Peter Aarrestad

Create lasting memories and future conservationists. By taking someone fishing you can personally demonstrate your commitment to ensuring the long-term health of Connecticut’s and the nation’s fish and wildlife resources. If you are reading this you are likely a recreational angler, and as such, you undoubtedly have many fond memories of previous fishing trips with family or friends. Sharing your interest in fishing, especially with the younger folks, helps a new generation create these lasting memories, and it also helps sustain our culturally important legacy of fish and wildlife resources that are managed for, and used or appreciated by, society. You in effect are paying it forward whenever you introduce someone new to fishing. Thank you for doing that!

I personally enjoy the bounty of an overflowing memory bank of fishing trips with my family over more than 50 years, beginning in my youth with Opening Day Trout fishing trips to Dickinson Creek and the Salmon River with my dad and two older sisters.  And it’s not just about the fishing.  I can easily recall the excitement and earthy aroma of filling a coffee can with fat juicy night crawlers collected on a rainy night with flashlight in hand prior to Opening Day. This was as much a part of our tradition as the fishing itself. I also remember with fondness drifting squid or sand lance for summer flounder with my mom and dad from a small runabout in Long Island Sound using a 1920s or 1930s vintage, inexpensive, solid-steel freshwater baitcasting rod, because that was the best equipment we had at the time. It worked, and more than a few doormat fluke were boated using that old steel rod. Over the years I had the pleasure of introducing my own kids to fishing and as adults they continue to participate, whether it be ice fishing, or casting for largemouth or smallmouth bass. An incredibly inspirational and passion filled article on family fishing by the Fisheries Division’s own Justin Wiggins can be found in the Nov/Dec 2019 edition of Connecticut Wildlife. I would urge you to read it for great practical tips for being successful in introducing youngsters to fishing. 

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Please contact the Fisheries Division with any questions. 

Phone: 860-424-FISH (3474)
E-mail: deep.inland.fisheries@ct.gov

Content last updated June 2022