2021 Fishing Licenses are Available Online |
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Fishing Fuels Conservation!
100% of your investment funds fish and fishing
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CT DEEP Fisheries Division Covid-19 update web page
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SOCIAL DISTANCING WHILE FISHING IS A MUST!
Fishing is a great way to spend time outdoors, reduce stress, and possibly catch a tasty meal. The Fisheries Division along with the CDC, State of CT DPH, and the DEEP strongly encourage social distancing and not fishing with anyone other than people living in the same space.
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Connecticut Fishing COVID-19 Updates
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Latest Updates from the Fisheries Division |
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Circle Hooks Required for Striped Bass. Effective December 1, 2020 it is mandatory to use inline circle hooks whenever fishing with bait (live, dead, or cut) for Striped Bass. Please view our web page for the latest information and details.
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New Rules for Freshwater Fishing in 2021? We are compiling and finalizing the public comments on the proposed changes for inland sport fishing regulations for 2021. The next step in the process is to get approval for the changes from the State Legislative Regulation Review Committee. So, until that happens, there are no changes from 2020 to 2021. Stay tuned as we will let you know as soon as anything changes.
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ICE! We are still in the very early stages of ice formation on many lakes and ponds. Please take extreme care and caution, checking the ice thickness very frequently if you venture out ICE FISHING! A reminder that the DEEP does not monitor or measure ice thickness.
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DEEP's Winter Festival Goes Virtual for 2021 |
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Grab your cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate as well as your warm blanket and join us from the comfort of your home for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) No Child Left Inside® 15th annual “Virtual” Winter Festival. Due to Covid-19, we are unable to host an in-person event this year. Instead, the event will be live-streamed beginning at 9 am. More details to come as we get closer- follow on our CT Fish and Wildlife Facebook Page
This FREE 15th annual Winter Festival provides fun for the entire family. Participants are able to watch the Facebook Live Watch Party from any portable device.
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Youth Fishing Passport Top Anglers 2020 |
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Congratulations to the Top Anglers for 2020! In first place was Daniel Echols (top) who landed an amazing 17 species in the Fishing Challenge He is followed by Emmett Dougherty with 15 species (bottom left), Kiera Mullen with 13 species (bottom center), and Jessie Mullen (bottom right) with 13 species. Each will receive a generous prize pack of great fishing related goodies.
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Annual Fish Stocking Report |
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View the 2020 CT Fish Stocking report here!
The Fisheries Division stocked 1,250,312 fish into various waters throughout Connecticut in 2020. The remainder of this report provides the number of fish stocked by the Fisheries Division in various waterbodies throughout Connecticut. For additional details or questions regarding any of our stocking programs, please contact us at 860-424-FISH or by email at deep.inland.fisheries@ct.gov
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the Fisheries Division and the State of Connecticut modifying past practices related to trout stocking. Several of these included the modification of stocking schedules, not being able to stock locations closed to the public by various municipalities, postponing stocking in Fairfield County until late in the spring, and opening waters early to fishing per Governor Ned Lamont’s Executive order (7L). These modifications were challenging for the Fisheries Division as well as the dedicated and passionate anglers of CT. We appreciate your continued support as we have navigated through some difficult and challenging times.
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With more and more waters having at least 4" of ice, February looks like it could be a good month to be out fishing 'on the hard water'. Sounding a "hole" is the technique to find the depth and make sure you are setting the bait on your tip-up close to the bottom of the lake or pond you are fishing. Enjoy and good luck! For more on our CARE ice fishing please visit our webpage.
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Salmonids (trout and salmon) are one of Connecticut's most sought after recreational fish species. This page provides information about and related to the Statewide Salmonid Action Plan. The purpose of this action plan is to maintain and improve recreational salmonid fishing and conserve wild populations in Connecticut. The plan focuses on four themes: Grow Fish, Catch Fish, Conserve Fish, and Public Engagement.
Looking ahead, the Fisheries Division will be more adaptive and responsive with salmonid production, distribution, and conservation in order to meet the changing desires and preferences of Connecticut’s anglers.
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Safety first: A rule of thumb for ice safety is “there is no 100% guarantee”. Ice thickness and strength will vary from place to place. Be sure to “test” the thickness as you go – do not assume that the ice is uniform. Generally, four to five inches or more of clear ice is acceptable for a small group ice fishing. Learn more about ice safety.
Ice formation depends on the combination of many things including:
- the size of the water (small pond versus large lake),
- the depth of the water,
- objects sticking out of the water like boulders and logs,
- proximity to moving water (like the inlet and outlet),
- amount and angle of the sun,
- recent weather conditions (air temperatures, wind, and precipitation).
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Ice Fishing is a great and safe way to beat cabin fever and spend quality socially distant time with family and friends outdoors.
ZOOM Dates (All classes start at 6:00pm):
February 1st (Monday)
February 10th (Wednesday)
February 16th (Tuesday)
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For more info about the many benefits of ice fishing here in CT, check out these great articles found in past editions of Connecticut Wildlife Magazine.
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Circle Hooks Now Mandatory - Striped Bass |
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"We're trying to help conserve a stock of fish that is in an overfished condition and needs help. By using inline circle hooks, people are pitching in to that effort."- Justin Davis, Assistant Director, Marine Fisheries Program
This regulation was mandated by Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and is being adopted by all Atlantic coast states. View the emergency regulation change.
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Learn to Fish Videos on YouTube |
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Let's Go Fishing YouTube playlist: To enhance our very popular "Let's Go Fishing" workbook, we have created a short series of instructional fishing videos on DEEP's YouTube channel. These videos are a DIY way to get the instruction delivered during our Introduction to Fishing classes, which have been suspended indefinitely due to the Corona Virus Pandemic.
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This Month's Mystery Fish |
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Fishing Challenge - For YOUth |
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Fishing is the perfect family activity during this time of "distance learning" and being "socially distant". CT's FREE Youth Fishing Passport is your child's ticket to all of the amazing outdoor discoveries fishing has to offer. Fishing involves knowing about habitat, environmental quality, food webs, life history of species, and so much more. You can get a Youth Fishing Passport, for those 15 or younger, using our online licensing system. Register your child as a new user. If you have questions please contact us.
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Fishing Challenge Scorecard |
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The Youth Fishing Passport Fishing Challenge is a year long fishing scavenger hunt. To have your catch count, simple snap a photo of your fish (from our scorecard) and email it to us. The top four anglers (who catch the most different types on our list) receive a prize pack full of fishing swag.
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Fishing Guide - Access Online Anytime |
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The 2020 Fishing Guide is available in English and Spanish. The best and fastest way to get your copy is online. We have a couple of options for you:
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The DEEP Webpage as a pdf
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In digital book format at the e-regulations page
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2020 Fishing Guide in Spanish: The Fishing Guide is now available in Spanish via digital book format, |
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Last month's mystery fish was the Northern Pike. Connecticut's largest freshwater predatory, the Northern Pike is a popular target for many anglers. The Fisheries Division actively stocks young pike each year to maintain populations within our Pike Management Lakes. In addition, the Connecticut River and upper Housatonic River have robust populations.
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Información disponible en español
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