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 freshwater
Gauges across the Connecticut River basin read in the low 60s this evening, with water at 59°F on gauge 01194500, 60°F on 01193050 and 61°F on 01184000, and a warmer 63°F on 01194796. That is a comfortable range for fall feeding. Regional shop reports from The Fisherman — New England Freshwater point to freshly stocked rainbows and browns being taken from shore on white PowerBait, with hardware working less well. Largemouth are described as slow, needing a nearly dead-sticked plastic worm.
Fall striper run and tog bite build along the Sound
Water temperatures across Long Island Sound sit in the low-to-mid 60s, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8461490 reading 63.1°F, station 8465705 at 64.4°F and station 8467150 at 64.9°F. That is still warm enough to hold bait close to shore, but cool enough that fall feeding behavior is taking over. Per Saltwater Edge Blog (RI), the striped bass bite in neighboring Rhode Island has been incredible for weeks, and the tautog fishing is picking up just as you'd expect for this time of year. Anglers Journal and OTW Surfcasting both describe the late-season striper blitz as the main event of the Northeast fall, with birds, baitfish and bass stacking up as fish stage for their move south.
Fall trout and smallmouth window opens as CT rivers cool
Water is cooling into the fall range across the Connecticut River system. USGS gauge 01194500 reads 58°F at 49.4 cfs, gauge 01193050 and gauge 01184000 sit at 61°F, and gauge 01194796 reads 62°F. Those mid-range temperatures keep fish comfortable and feeding, with no heat stress and no cold shutdown yet. The big river is running strong, with gauge 01184000 at 11,900 cfs and gauge 01193050 at 7,980 cfs, so expect heavy current and plenty of push in the main stem. The smaller stream at gauge 01194500 is far lower and clearer by comparison. Per Wired 2 Fish, October through mid-November is prime time for big spawning Brown Trout moving out of large lakes and into feeder rivers, a pattern described for Ontario that reflects the broader fall brown trout season.
Fall trout stockings and cooling rivers set up CT's best bite
Connecticut's inland rivers are sitting in the upper 50s to low 60s, a comfortable range for fall fishing. USGS gauge 01194500 reads 58°F with flow near 52.5 cfs, and gauge 01193050 also reads 58°F. Gauge 01184000 shows 60°F, and gauge 01194796 reads 62°F. Cooling water like this typically wakes up trout and pushes bass toward feeding. The Fisherman — New England Freshwater reports fall trout stockings across the region, with white PowerBait the hottest trout tempter from shore at stocked ponds, and hardware working less well. The same report notes white perch in the 11 to 13 inch range coming alongside trout. Bass action is described as okay and mostly on live shiners.
Tog season hits stride as fall run builds in the Sound
The fall tautog season is the story this week, with The Fisherman — Connecticut reporting that the blackfish bite started strong for anglers who put in the time. AW Marina noted boaters getting limits near the mouth of the Thames River while shore anglers scratched out a few keepers. J&B Tackle also mentioned albies working back into the Sound and bonito in very good numbers, though they are fast and sporadic. Water is sitting in the low to mid 60s across the three CO-OPS stations, at 63.3°F, 63.9°F and 64.6°F, a comfortable range for the fall migration.
Fall trout stocking and cooling rivers set up CT inland
Connecticut inland rivers are cooling into a comfortable range for fall fishing. The USGS gauge 01193050 reads 59°F at 16,100 cfs, gauge 01184000 shows 61°F at 6,560 cfs, and gauge 01194500 reads 62°F at 60.3 cfs. Gauge 01194796 reads 64°F. Regional shops across New England are talking about fall trout stocking. Per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, Jerry's Bait and Tackle in Milford said recently stocked reservoirs are fishing well from shore, with white PowerBait the top producer and hardware a distant second. The same report noted bass action is okay and mostly on live shiners.
Fall blitz window stays open on a warm Sound
Water across Long Island Sound is still holding summer warmth this evening. NOAA CO-OPS station 8461490 reads 62.2°F, station 8465705 reads 64°F, and station 8467150 reads 64.6°F. That puts the western Sound about two degrees warmer than the eastern end, a gradient worth noting when you decide where to start. On The Water's recent fall pieces, including its look at the baitfish that fuel blitzes, keep returning to one signal: birds working over bait near inlets and shorelines. OTW Surfcasting describes the fall blitz as a burst of concentrated feeding, which is exactly what this stretch of mild water tends to support.
Fall trout and bass window opens as CT waters cool
Gauge readings across the Connecticut River basin this week show water temperatures of 59 to 63°F, with the Connecticut River at the northern gauge (01184000) at 61°F and moving 4,510 cfs. Those numbers put cool-water fish in a comfortable, active range. Tactical Bassin's October coverage points to a shallow-water approach that many anglers overlook this time of year, working jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater around the subtle locations bass use, and doing it without electronics.
Fall trout stocking and shallow bass bite set the tone
Water is cooling into prime fall range across the Connecticut River valley. USGS gauge 01194500 reads 57°F at 71 cfs, while gauges 01193050 and 01184000 both read 60°F. That is comfortable for bass staging and trout becoming active. Per The Fisherman — New England Freshwater, regional ponds and reservoirs have been receiving fall trout stockings, with shore anglers doing well on white PowerBait. Tactical Bassin (blog) calls shallow water the most overlooked October trick, working jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater.
Fall bass settle into cooling water across inland CT
Water is cooling into the classic fall window. Gauge 01194500 reads 58°F and gauge 01184000 and 01193050 both read 60°F, with the warmest reading at 63°F on gauge 01194796. That spread is the kind of cooling that pushes bass off summer patterns. Tactical Bassin (blog) says jigs are producing big bites this time of year, with fish sitting tight to dock pilings, laydowns and rocks, and also points to shallow jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater as overlooked October options. Per Wired 2 Fish, crappie turn aggressive almost overnight once the first cool front passes.
Fall tog season opens strong as albies and stripers push through
The fall blackfish season kicked off with a bang, per The Fisherman — Connecticut, where AW Marina reported tautog caught in and around the mouth of the Thames River, with boaters getting limits while shore anglers scratched out some keepers. J&B Tackle called the start strong with great weather and good catches for anyone who put in the time. Water is holding in the low 60s, with NOAA CO-OPS station 8461490 reading 61.9°F, station 8465705 at 63.7°F and station 8467150 at 64.4°F. That is comfortable for a mixed fall bite, with bait still moving and fish feeding actively in the Sound.
Fall bass settle into shallow cover as CT waters cool
Inland water around Connecticut is sitting in the high 50s to low 60s, with gauge 01194500 reading 57°F, gauges 01193050 and 01184000 both at 60°F, and gauge 01194796 the warmest at 64°F. That is a comfortable fall range for bass. Tactical Bassin calls shallow water the most overlooked piece of October bass fishing, and says jigs, soft jerkbaits and topwater all work there. Fishing the Midwest adds that fish tend to hold on whatever green weeds remain as the rest of the weed beds die back.