Striped bass and false albacore linger in CT after nor'easter
Long Island Sound is sitting in the mid-60s this week, with NOAA CO-OPS stations at New London, New Haven and Bridgeport reading 64.9 to 65.5°F as of October 7. Per J&B Tackle (The Fisherman — Connecticut), striped bass, bluefish and false albacore have all stayed active in the area following this week's nor'easter. AW Marina reports striper fishing at the mouth of the Thames River has only improved since the storm passed, with shore anglers connecting on chunks, sandworms, clams and tins like Deadly Dicks, and says the shore bite is as good as it's been in recent years. Bottom fishing is holding too: Black Hawk describes sea bass filling the rail on recent trips, and Tartan II calls the sea bass bite fantastic, with plenty of keepers mixed in.
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Water in the mid-60s should keep the fall push rolling over the next several days. If striped bass, bluefish and false albacore keep following bait inshore as J&B Tackle describes, the stretch around the Thames River mouth and nearby Sound shoreline should stay productive into the weekend. Black Hawk also flagged a season opening starting next week, giving bottom anglers another reason to be out.
The moon is in a waning crescent phase, building toward new moon, which typically means building tidal swings as the week goes on. Plan around moving water early and late in the day rather than the slack middle, since fall migrators tend to feed hardest on a moving tide at dawn and dusk.
Context
Mid-60s water on Long Island Sound in early October is typical for this stage of the fall transition, when striped bass and bluefish push south and false albacore linger behind the last warm-water bait. Per The Fisherman (Northeast), this week's nor'easter has already kicked the fall run into gear across the broader region rather than shutting it down, and the Connecticut shop reports echo that: action picked up immediately after the storm instead of the usual lull. That puts the Sound on a normal, if not slightly accelerated, pace for this point in the season.
Synthesized from real-time NOAA buoy data, USGS stream gauges, and current reports across regional fishing blogs, captain updates, and angler forums. Check local regulations before keeping fish. Never trust a single source for a trip decision.
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