Connecticut fishing reports
305 reports for Connecticut — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Fall trout stocking and cooling water set up CT inland bite
Water temperatures across the Connecticut River basin gauges are sitting in the upper 40s to upper 50s today, with 49°F at gauge 01194500, 56°F at 01193050 and 57°F at 01184000. That is a comfortable range for cool-water species to feed with purpose. A Connecticut shop report in The Fisherman — Connecticut notes the salt side is busy with fall tautog, but for inland anglers the story is cooling water and the fall stocking season. The Fisherman — New England Freshwater reports freshly stocked trout in nearby Massachusetts waters, with white PowerBait the top producer from shore and hardware working less well. A Southwick livery reported a 4-pound largemouth that took a nearly dead-sticked plastic worm, a reminder that slow presentations are paying off as the water cools.
Tog season opens strong across the Sound
Water temperatures across the Sound sit in the low 60s this afternoon: 62.4°F at New Haven (NOAA CO-OPS station 8465705), 63.3°F at New London (8461490) and 63.9°F at Bridgeport (8467150). That is comfortable range for tautog, and The Fisherman — Connecticut backs it up. AW Marina reported the fall blackfish season kicked off with a bang, with fish taken in and around the mouth of the Thames River from boat and shore. Boaters were getting limits while shore anglers scratched out some keepers. J&B Tackle called the start strong for anyone who put in the time. AW Marina also had stripers and black sea bass biting.
Fall Brown Trout and Perch Bite Settles In Across CT
Connecticut rivers are running cool and the fall pattern is established. USGS gauge 01194500 reads 48°F with 42.7 cfs, while gauge 01193050 shows 56°F at 987 cfs and gauge 01184000 reads 56°F at 9,630 cfs on the big river. That spread of temperatures is the story this week. Smaller, spring-fed flows sit in the trout comfort zone, while larger rivers are a touch warmer but dropping steadily. Per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, trout stocked for fall are drawing shore anglers, with white PowerBait the top producer and hardware a distant second.
Blackfish bite is on as Sound water cools into fall
Water in the Sound is sitting in the low 60s this morning, with NOAA CO-OPS stations 8461490, 8465705 and 8467150 reading 63.1, 62.8 and 63.5°F. That is cool enough to keep the fall migration moving and warm enough that bait stays active. Per The Fisherman — Connecticut, AW Marina said the fall tog season kicked off with a bang, with fish taken in and around the mouth of the Thames River. Boaters were reportedly getting limits while shore anglers scratched out some keepers. J&B Tackle called the blackfish start strong, with good catches for anyone who put in the time. Tartan II expects tautog to join the scup and sea bass already filling fish boxes.
Fall brown trout and smallmouth settle into cooling CT water
Connecticut River gauge 01193050 reads 57°F and gauge 01184000 reads 57°F, while the Salmon River gauge 01194500 is running cooler at 51°F and a third gauge, 01194796, shows 59°F. That spread of 51 to 59 degrees marks the shift into true fall patterns. Per Field & Stream, fish move off shallow summer haunts as water drops through the 50s and feed to bulk up for winter. Wired 2 Fish notes October to mid-November is prime time for lake-run spawning brown trout moving into feeder rivers and creeks, though that report concerns Ontario. Treat it as a seasonal pattern, not a CT report.
Fall striper and tog bite builds across the Sound
Water temperatures across Long Island Sound sit in the low 60s this morning, with CO-OPS station 8467150 reading 64.2°F, station 8461490 at 63.3°F and station 8465705 at 62.2°F. That is squarely in the range that keeps the fall run moving. Per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI), the striped bass bite in neighboring Rhode Island has been incredible for weeks and tautog fishing is picking up just as you'd expect for the time of year. On The Water's surfcasting coverage this week centers on the fall striped bass blitz, a reminder that birds working over bait are the signal to watch.
Fall trout stockings and cooling water set the tone inland
Water is cooling into a comfortable range across inland Connecticut. USGS gauge 01194500 reads 55°F at 47.3 cfs, gauge 01193050 shows 59°F, and gauge 01194796 reads 60°F, while the big Connecticut River gauge 01184000 sits at 58°F but is running high at 8,510 cfs. The Fisherman's New England Freshwater column reports fall trout stockings at several ponds and reservoirs, with white PowerBait the top producer from shore and hardware working less well. Brown trout are also part of that catch, including a mixed bag with white perch at Forest Lake.
Fall smallmouth and trout window opens as CT water cools
Water across the Connecticut River basin has settled into the upper 50s, a comfortable fall range for active freshwater fish. USGS gauge 01194500 reads 57°F with 52.5 cfs, gauge 01193050 reads 59°F at 12,200 cfs, gauge 01194796 shows 60°F, and gauge 01184000 reads 59°F at 6,780 cfs. Those readings, taken this morning, point to an in-between stage: warm enough that fish stay willing to feed, cool enough that they are shifting toward fall patterns. Per The Fisherman — Connecticut, the broader fall bite is underway in the region, and The Fisherman — New England Freshwater notes stocked trout are drawing anglers in neighboring states, with white PowerBait and hardware both producing.
Cooling rivers set up a fall bite for CT smallmouth
Water is cooling into the low 60s across inland Connecticut, which is the shift that matters this week. USGS gauge 01193050 reads 60°F at 19,600 cfs, gauge 01194500 reads 59°F at 52.5 cfs, gauge 01194796 reads 61°F, and gauge 01184000 reads 60°F at 7,010 cfs. Those temperatures typically push smallmouth bass out of summer holding water and toward slower, deeper edges where they feed up ahead of winter. Tactical Bassin (blog) this week highlights fall bass patterns. One piece covers fishing a paddle tail on an underspin when bass are chasing baitfish, and another covers shallow jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater for October bass.
Fall trout stocking and shoreline bass keep inland CT interesting
Connecticut's inland waters are in a fall cooling pattern, with Connecticut River gauges reading 59 to 63°F on the evening of Oct. 16. That is comfortable water for bass and perch to feed steadily ahead of winter. Regional shop reports from The Fisherman — New England Freshwater point to active fall trout stocking across neighboring states, with white PowerBait the top producer from shore at several stocked reservoirs. Bass action there was described as okay, mostly on live shiners, and one Southwick shop owner said the largemouth bite required very slow presentations, including a nearly dead-sticked plastic worm. Tactical Bassin (blog) also highlights fall bass chasing baitfish, where adding a blade to a swimbait adds flash and vibration.
Fall striper and tautog bite builds as Sound water cools
Water temperatures across the Sound sit in the low-to-mid 60s, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8461490 reading 62.8°F, station 8465705 at 63.7°F and station 8467150 at 64.8°F. That is right in the zone where fall fish feed hard ahead of the cooldown. Per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI), the striped bass bite in neighboring Rhode Island has been incredible for weeks, and tautog fishing is picking up just as you would expect for mid-October. Anglers Journal describes the late-season striper blitz as the heartbeat of the Northeast fishery, with birds and baitfish marshaling for the push south.
Fall trout stockings and cooling water set up CT inland
Water is cooling across the Connecticut River system, with gauge 01193050 reading 59°F and gauge 01194500 at 55°F early Friday, while gauge 01194796 sits at 62°F. Gauge 01184000 shows 60°F. That spread is typical of mid-October, when fish begin shifting off summer haunts. Regionally, The Fisherman — New England Freshwater reports fall trout stockings producing well, with white PowerBait the standout for shore anglers and hardware working less well. The same column says bass action is okay, mostly on live shiners, and one Southwick angler had to fish very slowly, taking a 4-pound largemouth on a nearly dead-sticked plastic worm.