Press Releases
05/06/2021
DEEP Encourages Residents to Come out for “Free Fishing Day” May 8
No Fishing License Needed to Fish Saturday, May 8
(Hartford)- Fishing is free this Saturday! The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is encouraging residents and families to head out to a local waterbody this Saturday for “Free Fishing Day,” also known as “Family Fishing Day,” a day where no fishing license is required to come out and fish.
Connecticut is a great state for fishing! Within a 60-minute drive you can cross the state and be fly fishing the famed Housatonic River or Farmington River, catching monster Northern Pike in Bantam Lake, trophy Common Carp from the Connecticut River, or on Long Island Sound fishing for tasty favorites like fluke, porgy, and bluefish.
Interested in learning more about fishing in Connecticut? Check out the Connecticut is Fishy! App, a one-stop shop for all things fishing in Connecticut, from learning about great places to fish in Connecticut; species of fish you can catch in Connecticut’s waterbodies; information about licenses, rules, and regulations; fish consumption information and much more!
New to fishing? DEEP’s Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education (CARE) program is here to help by offering free Introduction to Fishing ZOOM classes and special “fishing field trips” through the summer at waterbodies around the state! For those new to fishing, the first step is to register for an Introduction to Fishing ZOOM class to learn all the basics of fishing in an interactive virtual format. The next step is to identify a fishing trip you’d like to attend! In the spring/summer, the free fishing field trip events are offered three times a week at locations around the state from mid-April through the summer. CARE fishing Instructors will be on hand at these events with loaner equipment, bait, and instruction to help you have a positive and successful fishing experience! Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, and space is limited to the first 35 people.
While fishing is an activity that can be enjoyed at a distance from others, DEEP continues to recommend that those recreating in the outdoors take appropriate precautions to continue to limit the spread of COVID-19. First and foremost,
if you are not feeling well, stay home! Signs and symptoms of coronavirus include fever, cough, difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea. Have a mask with you, and wear it if within 6 feet of anyone outside of your family group.
Please be advised that all other fishing rules and regulations remain in effect. Don’t forget to download your copy of the fishing guide in English or Spanish!
Hope to see you out there!
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Contact
DEEP Communications
DEEP.communications@ct.gov
860-424-3110