2023 Fishing Licenses are Available Online

The 2023 Fishing Booklets have been shipped to many town halls and bait and tackle shops. Please help us reduce wasted money and resources and only pick up a hard copy guide if needed. As a reminder a digital version is available on our web page and we have partnered with FishBrain.

The CT Fisheries Division has partnered with FishBrain, the world's largest fishing APP to provide CT's fishing regulations right to your smart device. These regulations are available in the FREE version of the APP. As with any APP if you would like to have access to premium features there is a subscription fee.

Marine Species that open in May include:

Scup (Porgy) on May 1

Blue Crab on May 1 (Link to our Factsheet)

Summer Flounder (Fluke) on May 4

Black Sea Bass on May 19

View the 2023 Marine Recreational Fishing Regulations here.

Black Sea Bass

Min Length

• All anglers: 16”

Season

• From private boat or shore: May 19 – June 23, July 8 – Dec.1, season closed June 24 – July 7.
• For-hire boats: May 19 – Dec. 31

Bag Limit

• Boat, shore: 5 fish
• For-hire boats:
• May 19 – Aug. 31: 5 fish
• Sept. 1 – Dec. 31: 7 fish

Scup

Minimum Length

• Boat anglers: 10.5” (increase from 10” in 2022)
• Shore anglers: 9.5” (decrease from 10” in 2022)
• Enhanced Opportunity Shore Locations: 9.5” (increase from 9” in 2022)
• 
  

Season

• All anglers: May 1 – Dec. 31 (decrease from year-round in 2022).

Bag Limit

• From private boat or shore: 30 fish.
• For-hire boats:
• May 1 – Aug. 31, Nov. 1 – Dec. 31: 30 fish
• Sept. 1 – Oct. 31: 40 fish (decrease from 50 fish in 2022).

Saturday May 13, 2023 is the annual Connecticut FREE fishing day! No fishing license is required to fish on this one day, however all rules and regulations must still be followed.

Join the Fisheries Division CARE program as we support DEEP's No Child Left Inside at Wharton Brook State Park on Saturday May 13, 2023

Each month in 2023, CT Fishin' Tips will highlight one of Connecticut's many inspirational female anglers. The featured anglers have a deep passion for Connecticut's fisheries and serve as role models for all of us.

The Fisheries Division is offering FREE learn to "Fish with CARE" classes and events throughout the spring/summer/fall! Our team of fishing coaches will be traveling to waterbodies around the state with bait, equipment, and instruction for you to get started fishing on the right path. Register for a Fish with CARE event today, but first prepare yourself for success by reviewing our CT Let's GO Fishing online course!

Want to learn to fly fish? The CARE program is offering a virtual "Fly Fishing 101 Presentation" on four different dates in 2023. Through this one hour ZOOM class, participants will learn about the history, equipment, and review all fly fishing basics. Register for the ZOOM presentation

A total of seven “Fly Fishing Field Day’s” are being offered to provide the opportunity to meet in-person to practice your casting with instructor coaching and guidance, learn how to setup your fly rod and what knot to tie, and fish for panfish and bass. CARE coaches will provide loaner fly rods and flies to get you started fishing confidently and on the path to success, or you can bring your own gear and coaches will go through it with you and help set it up properly. Participation is limited, register today! **Attending a ZOOM “Fly Fishing 101 Presentation” is a mandatory pre-requisite for the Field Day**

Registration for the Fly Fishing Field Days

Sharing an email from a tournament director about recent bass catches -

Hi Bill. "I thought you may want to see pictures of the first and second place finishers from the SWCT Bassmaster tournament on Candlewood Lake on 4-20-23.Donnie weighed in a 20 pound 3 ounce limit anchored with a 6 lb 10 oz LMB which was lunker. He came in second to Henry who weighed in a 22 lb 15 oz limit anchored with a 5 lb 2 oz SMB.

Saturday 4-22-23 there was an open tournament out of the Danbury Town Park with 34 teams. Eight of the teams weighed in a 6+ pound fish for lunker. 

 What are you guys putting in the water?"

The Fisheries Division – Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education Program (CARE) is seeking volunteers to join our team of certified Fishing Coaches! FISH with CARE program hosts classes and events all over the state where we teach basic fishing skills to adults, families, and youth. FISH with CARE coaches work with Fisheries staff to educate and engage the public in the outdoors through the sport of fishing. If you are interested in sharing your love and knowledge of fishing while creating the next generation of environmental stewards, consider joining our Fishing Coach team! Our next certification training is being offering in April, information to get involved can be found HERE!

Would you like to see your catch highlighted in upcoming issues of CT Fishin' Tips? If so, please email your photo to mike.beauchene@ct.gov 

The Burlington State Fish Hatchery turns 100 this year!

Fish culture and trout stocking are often featured on television news as a personal interest segment. Despite the advantages of modern day social media, being able to reach an audience that is glued to the television is very effective.

The following video gives great tips and pointers on how to fish CT's rivers and streams, especially during the spring.

NEW for 2023 - The list of species has been increased to include many popular fish, both freshwater and saltwater. The challenge is ON! Start catching and submitting, you can be CT's next "Top Angler"

If you have a guess as to the fish pictured below, email Mike.beauchene@ct.gov

The March mystery fish was a Redfin Pickerel (Esox americanus americanus)

Connecticut’s smallest pike species. They are typically mistaken for small chain pickerel by anglers. They may compete with or have different habitat preferences than chain pickerel because they tend to be most common where chain pickerel are rare. Redfin pickerel occasionally hybridize in nature with chain pickerel. Characteristics of hybrids are intermediate between the two parent species.

Commonly 5 to 9 inches the Redfin is found in the Atlantic coastal states from New Hampshire to Florida. A very similar subspecies, the grass pickerel (E. americanus vermiculatus), is distributed west of the Appalachians from western New York State to eastern Texas. Redfin pickerel have a spotty distribution in Connecticut. Although found in all major drainages, they are most common in the coastal and Connecticut River drainages and are absent from most of the Housatonic, Thames and many of the western coastal watersheds. They are typically uncommon to common where found.