Connecticut River Fishing Guide: Species, Access, and Best Spots
The Connecticut River: A World-Class Fishery in a Small State
The Connecticut River is arguably New England's best river fishery. It runs 410 miles from the Canadian border to Long Island Sound, and the lower third in Connecticut offers extraordinary angling opportunities. The EPA's "Estuary of National Significance" designation reflects what anglers already know: the recovery of this river from heavy industrial pollution is one of the great environmental success stories in the Northeast.
Today the CT River holds striped bass, American shad, hickory shad, channel catfish, largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye (in upper sections), carp, white perch, and one of the largest Atlantic salmon restoration efforts in New England. The river fishes well from April through November, with different species driving the action each month.
Connecticut River Species by Season
**Spring (April–June):** - **American Shad:** The signature spring run. Shad run from mid-April through mid-June, peaking in May. Fish from Enfield downstream, especially below the Enfield Dam at the DEEP's dedicated shad fishing area. - **Hickory Shad:** Follow the American shad with slightly different timing, slightly smaller fish. - **Striped Bass:** Spring stripers follow the shad migration upstream. Large fish up to 40+ inches show in May–June. - **Smallmouth Bass:** Active in rocky sections of the upper river in spring.
**Summer (July–August):** - **Channel Catfish:** Peak activity in warm water. Night fish for the biggest specimens. - **Largemouth Bass:** In backwater coves, oxbow ponds, and tidal flats in the lower river. - **White Perch:** Abundant throughout the tidal portion of the river. - **Stripers:** Present but offshore. Fish tide changes and creek mouths.
**Fall (September–November):** - **Striped Bass:** Big fall run of fish heading back to the coast. October is prime. - **Shad:** Some hickory shad make a fall run. American shad are strictly spring fish. - **Smallmouth:** Fall feeding binge in rocky upper sections.
Best CT River Access Points
**Enfield Dam (Enfield):** The DEEP maintains a dedicated shad fishing pier and boat launch near the Enfield Dam. Best shad fishing in the state. Stripers stack below the dam in May.
**Windsor Locks Canal:** Historic navigation canal alongside the river with a towpath. Good shore fishing for bass, catfish, and white perch.
**Cromwell Town Launch:** Boat launch with good access to the middle river. Productive for bass and catfish.
**Haddam Meadows State Park (Haddam):** Large boat launch, picnicking, and shore fishing access. Near a productive catfish stretch.
**Salmon River Confluence (East Haddam):** Where the Salmon River meets the Connecticut — excellent for migratory stripers and fall bass.
**Gillette Castle State Park (East Haddam):** Shore access to the tidal river with bass, stripers, and catfish.
**Selden Neck State Park (Lyme):** Accessible only by boat, offering a pristine section of tidal river with some of the best largemouth bass habitat on the CT River.
CT River Shad Fishing Tactics
Shad fishing on the Connecticut River is a tradition. The Enfield Dam area fills up in May with anglers targeting the spring run — it's one of the most social fishing events in the state.
**Gear:** Light to medium spinning rod, 6–8 lb monofilament or 10 lb braid. Shad have soft mouths; don't horse them.
**Lures:** Shad darts (1/4–3/8 oz) in chartreuse, yellow, or pink. Small Swedish Pimples and shad spoons also work. Bounce the dart along the bottom in the current.
**Technique:** Cast upstream and across current, let the dart sink, then retrieve slowly with short lifts. The bite is usually light — just a slight heaviness or change in feel.
**Fly fishing:** Shad are exceptional fly rod targets. Small clousers, shad flies in bright colors on a 6–8 wt rod. The run at Enfield draws serious fly anglers from across New England.
CT River Striped Bass Tactics
Striped bass enter the Connecticut River from Long Island Sound in spring and again in fall. They follow the bait — primarily shad and river herring.
**Spring:** Target the current seams below the dam at Enfield and the points and eddies along the river from Haddam upstream. Live shad is the top bait when available. Big swimbaits, bucktails, and topwater plugs at dawn all produce.
**Fall:** The tidal portion of the river from Old Saybrook to Haddam sees good action as bass stage before the coastal migration. Bunker schools attract big fish. Large soft plastic swimbaits and live bunker under a float work best.
**Tide:** The CT River is tidal to about Hartford. Fish the current changes — incoming and outgoing transitions are most productive.
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