Connecticut Fall Fishing Guide: Best Species and Spots in September, October, and November

Why Fall Fishing Is Different

Several things converge in Connecticut's fall that create exceptional fishing:

**Feeding windows:** Fish of all species are biologically driven to feed heavily before water temperatures drop. Bass, stripers, tautog, and bluefish all enter aggressive feeding phases in the fall. Their metabolism hasn't slowed yet, but the urgency of winter approaching drives them to feed at every opportunity.

**Baitfish migrations:** Huge schools of bunker (menhaden), peanut bunker (juvenile menhaden), bay anchovies, and sand eels move through Connecticut waters in fall. Predators — stripers, blues, albies, bonito — follow these schools. Locating the bait locates the fish.

**Temperature windows:** Water temperatures in the 58–68°F range are ideal for most CT species. Bass, stripers, and tautog are all most active and catchable in this range, which typically occurs October through early November.

**Less competition:** After Labor Day, fishing pressure drops significantly. The spots that were crowded all summer are often accessible and productive again.

September: False Albacore, Stripers, and Early Fall Bass

September is the most exciting month on the CT coast. False albacore (little tunny) arrive in Long Island Sound after their late-summer offshore run and provide some of the most explosive topwater action in the Northeast.

**False albacore (albies):** Albies feed in visible surface explosions on schools of bay anchovies and small peanut bunker. Light tackle spinning gear with 1–1.5 oz metal jigs or small epoxy flies is the standard approach. They're catch-and-release only — excellent fighters with no table value. Niantic Bay, Fishers Island Sound, and the race off Watch Hill are prime albie grounds.

**Stripers:** September produces quality keeper-sized stripers (28–36 inches) throughout the coast. Structure fishing with live eels at night produces large fish; surface plugging over breaking fish produces fast action. The Connecticut River mouth, harbors, and rocky points are reliable September striper spots.

**Bass (freshwater):** September bass fishing on CT lakes and rivers is excellent. Dropping water temperatures trigger feeding, and bass schooling on shad or blueback herring along points and creek mouths can produce fast limit fishing.

October: The Best Month

October is Connecticut's peak month for several species simultaneously:

**Striped bass:** Mid-October through early November is the prime striper run. Fish in the 28–35 inch class are abundant, with occasional 40-inch-plus fish mixed in. Bunker chunks, live eels, and large swimming plugs (SP Minnow, Bombers, Darters) all produce. Points, rips, boulder fields, and river mouths concentrate fish.

**Tautog (blackfish):** The fall tautog season opens in September and hits peak in October–November. Tautog are feeding heavily on green crabs, sand crabs, and mussels over rocky structure before their winter deep-water retreat. Rocky jetties, reefs, and wreck sites in eastern CT hold excellent numbers. Fall tautog are often larger than spring fish.

**Largemouth and smallmouth bass:** October bass fishing on freshwater is as good as it gets. Smallmouth on the Housatonic enter a fall feeding frenzy. Largemouth on reservoirs and ponds are targeting big meals — swimbait, large crankbaits, and big jigs produce jumbo fish.

**Bluefish:** October brings the season's best bluefish — large fall "gorilla blues" up to 15+ pounds following bunker schools. Trolling, chunking, and casting metal lures over blitzes produces fast action. They're aggressive and excellent table fare when bled and iced immediately.

November: Cold Water, Big Fish

November fishing separates committed anglers from casual ones — conditions are often miserable, but the fish are there.

**Late-season stripers:** November produces some of the largest stripers of the year. Fish are at maximum fall weight and staging along migration routes. The Connecticut and Thames Rivers in November hold big fish. Nighttime chunk fishing with bunker or herring produces most of the large ones.

**Tautog:** Fall tautog season typically closes in late November or early December. November is the last productive window before fish retreat to deep water. The best November tautog come from structure in 20–40 feet of water as shallower areas cool.

**Perch and pickerel:** November is excellent for yellow perch and chain pickerel on freshwater. Both species feed well in cold water and are underrated fall targets. Perch jigging over rocky bottom with small jigs or live minnows produces well.

**Cold-water trout:** Stocked trout in CT rivers and streams that weren't caught in spring are still in the system in fall. Stream temperatures in the 45–55°F range are ideal for brown trout feeding. Large brown trout enter fall spawning mode and can be taken on streamers and large spinners.

Key Fall Locations

**Saltwater:** - Connecticut River mouth (Old Saybrook/Old Lyme): Stripers and blues stack here in fall chasing baitfish - Niantic Bay: False albacore in September; stripers and bluefish October–November - Stonington/Watch Hill area: Best tautog grounds in the state; excellent albie territory - New Haven harbor and outer breakwater: Accessible striper and bluefish location

**Freshwater:** - Housatonic River: Best fall smallmouth in the state - Candlewood Lake: Fall largemouth and perch; accessible and productive - Salmon River: Fall brown trout and late-season stocked fish - Thames River tributaries: Smallmouth and perch in the fall

Nationwide conditions, what's biting, and gear deals. Every Saturday morning.

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