“When I think back to my childhood, I remember the many summers I spent outdoors, fishing with my dad,” Commissioner Klee recalls. “Those memories are precious to me, so I’ve continued to carry on the tradition by fishing with my children. I know how much my kids enjoy being out on the lake, waiting for the next fish to bite. That excited anticipation is a feeling I hope every child will get to experience. The fish stocking completed by our hatchery program ensures that the opportunity to fish in Connecticut will be available to children and adults for many generations to come.”

Each year hundreds of thousands of trout and salmon are raised in local hatcheries and released into Connecticut waters to support recreational fishing for Connecticut’s anglers. 

In addition to the hatchery program, the state of Connecticut promotes outdoor recreation through No Child Left Inside^®, a program that promises to introduce children to the wonder of nature – for their own health and well-being, for the future of environmental conservation, and for the preservation of the beauty, character and communities of the great State of Connecticut.

Through this program, Connecticut offers families many opportunities to enjoy time together outdoors. The 13th Annual Great Park Pursuit (GPP) will be hosted by Connecticut State Parks this summer. This year, in partnership with Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education (CARE), the GPP will be kicking off a series of exciting adventures with a FREE Family Fishing Day on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at Wharton Brook State Park, off of Rte. 5 in Wallingford, CT. For more information about this event, or to register, click here.

The Opening Day of the trout fishing season is Saturday, April 14th at 6:00 am. Each year over 4.4 million fishing days are spent on the water by adult anglers. This translates to nearly $450 million in economic activity across the state, resulting in thousands of jobs from bait and tackle shops as well as guide trips to local restaurants and other support services.

For more information regarding fishing opportunities and regulations in Connecticut, see www.ct.gov/deep/fishing.