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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Trout Fishing Opened Early Again. Governor Lamont issued Executive Order 10B which opened waters closed to fishing. Effective March 4, 2021, all waters, including those stocked opened to fishing. The rules for the Trout Management Areas (TMA) remain in effect (harvest at TMAs start at 6:00 am on the second Saturday of April, which is April 10, 2021).
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Learn to Fish Classes - ZOOM |
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Come Fish with DEEP CARE! The Fisheries Division - Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education (CARE) program is here to help you get fishing by offering Introduction to Fishing ZOOM classes and fishing field trips!
Frist - register for an Introduction to Fishing ZOOM class to learn all the basics of fishing in an interactive virtual format. Classes are offered weekly and from the comfort of your couch!
Second - join CARE at one of our free Special Fishing Event, offered 3 times a week at locations around the state from mid-April through the summer. CARE fishing Instructors will be on hand at these fishing field trips with loaner equipment, bait, and instruction to help you have a positive and successful fishing experience! Pre-registration is strongly recommended, and space is limited to the first 35 people.
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New Story Map about one of CT's
Ancient Fish - Sturgeon
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Spring is here! Anglers are hitting our local rivers just as Sturgeon are moving around in those same rivers. This increases the likelihood of anglers catching a sturgeon. Since sturgeon are Endangered, fishing for them is prohibited by State and Federal Law – and all sturgeon caught by anglers must be immediately released unharmed.
CT DEEP has produced a StoryMap loaded with interesting facts on sturgeon biology and research the Department has been conducting on sturgeon for the past 30-plus years:
We know anglers catch sturgeon because we see the social media posts! Sturgeon are fascinating creatures and we understand the urge to lift them out of the water for a photo op – but not only would this be illegal, your actions could also be harming these rare fish. Despite their armored appearance, sturgeon don’t have a calcified backbone. They must be carefully handled and supported out of the water to protect their primitive notochord.
They are listed as US Endangered throughout their range because the numbers of sturgeon truly are very low. Low enough that scientists think they could go extinct if numbers don’t increase. There are times when sturgeon will aggregate in parts of the river. If people are fishing in these same areas at the same time, quite a few sturgeon may get caught. This could lead some people to think sturgeon abundance is higher than it actually is.
If you happen to catch one, do not take the fish out of the water even for a picture or to remove your hook. Keep the fish in the water and handle it gently as you remove the hook or cut the line close to the hook.
Of course, we’d appreciate hearing about your catch (deep.marine.fisheries@ct.gov). We log all angler-reported sturgeon captures, and find it very useful if you include the date, time, approximate location, how it was caught, and whether the fish looked good upon release.
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Tips for Better Catch and Release Fishing |
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Catch and Release fishing does not always equal fish survival.
Poor technique often leads to delayed mortality even if the fish seems fine when it swims away. What you do in those first few moments after landing the fish makes a huge difference.
Fishing in our rivers and streams is near ideal right now, plenty of stocked fish, good flows and slowly warming water temperatures.
We would like to take a minute to remind anglers that if you are planning to release the fish you catch, please take the time and effort to make sure that the fish will live on for another day.
- consider changing from treble hooks to a single hook
- consider pinching down the barbs on your hooks
- keep the fish in the water when removing the hook
- wet your hands prior to holding the fish
- if taking a photo, be ready in advance and be quick
- do not lay the fish on the bank, pavement, or other structures
- if the hook is deeply set, snip the line as close to the hook as possible and release
- for photos of large fish, hold them horizontal not vertical (causes organ damage)
Thank you for helping to do your part in keeping CT fishing great.
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The Fisheries Division is currently stocking waters with trout daily. Trout parks are the perfect place for a simple and fun fishing trip with the family and friends. This video will give you some tips and pointers for making your trip to a CT Trout Park memorable.
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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 2021 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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Last month's mystery fish was the highly sought after Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu). The smallmouth was introduced to Connecticut around 1870. This introduction by the Connecticut Fish Commission was to support the efforts to replenish Connecticut's waters, which were suffering from the impacts of widespread land clearing and dam building. At the time, the Commissioners wrote, the "black bass" is far superior in fight than the native trout and is just as tasty.
The smallmouth is not as wide spread in Connecticut as it's close relative, the largemouth, as it is a bit more particular about water temperature and habitat. Smallmouth are also found in most of our largest rivers, including the Housatonic and Connecticut.
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Información disponible en español
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