Connecticut

DEP WEEKLY FISHING REPORT
Provided by the
CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
www.ct.gov/dep/fishing

FISHING REPORT NUMBER 29: 11/5/2008
INLAND REPORT

ATLANTIC SALMON

Broodstock atlantic salmon stocking update – DEP EXPECTS TO STOCK ANOTHER 200 BROODSTOCK ATLANTIC SALMON LATER THIS WEEK. The Naugatuck River and Shetucket River will each be stocked with 100 salmon. These salmon are from DEP’s Kensington Hatchery, and range in size from 3 to 15 pounds each (with some fish up to 20 pounds). These stockings will bring the total number of salmon stocked so far this fall to over 810 fish. DEP also expects to have an additional 300 salmon available for stocking later in November, of which 100 will be released into the two lakes (Crystal Lake, Mashapaug Lake) being stocked experimentally this fall.

ATLANTIC SALMON fishing is heating up with excellent reports coming in from the Naugatuck River (many fish over 10 pounds), Crystal Lake (20 pound fish caught by Ray Thompson) and Mashapaug (smaller fish being reported).

TROUT

Rivers & streams – Fall fishing is producing excellent action for those willing to brave the weather & the leaf fall. Streamer anglers are having success (9a.m. – 1p.m. during low light periods/overcast days). Cooler water temps, shorter days and trout spawning season gets the brown trout aggressive and territorial. Peak times are low light conditions, cloudy days, after rains and murky water conditions. This & nymphing dominate the early morning & late afternoon. For streamers try white, yellow & brown colors. Patterns to try include White, Wooly Buggers, Muddlers, Micky Finn, Grey or Black Ghosts (#4-10). Bottom bouncing nymphs with Tan & Winter Caddis pupa (#16-18), Serendipity (#14-16), Pheasant Tail (#12-20), Prince (#6-18) and Hare’s ear (#8-20) is recommended.

FARMINGTON RIVER – The water is in the mid/upper 40’s°F with 300 cfs of clear flows. Insect hatches include BWO (Drunella sps., dominant hatch), with Isonychia bicolor (#10-12-nymph), Midges (#22-28) & Caddis mixed in. For best action try Blue Wing Olives (#22-26, late morning, 8-9x tippet for dry flies), Caddis (winter & tan #16-18, mid afternoon). Expect most of the action to be between 11 am and 3 pm.

HOUSATONIC RIVER – The water is low/mid 40’s°F with 1,300 cfs of clear flows. Conditions will improve as the water drops. Fish the banks and out of the fast current. Bigger fish can be caught on nymphs during Blue Wing Olive hatches. Insect hatches include Blue Wing Olive (#18-26, early morning), Midges (#20-26) and Brown caddis (#14-18, early morning & late afternoon). During hatches try timing your casts to match the rhythmic rises observed and place an accurate cast right on that fish.

Lakes & Ponds – Some lakes are still producing good fishing. Areas of activity include: Highland Lake, East Twin Lake, Crystal Lake (Ellington), Black Pond (Middlefield), West Side Pond, West Hill Pond (22” brown, 1-4 pm is the best time) and Beach Pond.

LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing is reported as good. Areas to try include: Saugatuck Reservoir, Moodus Reservoir, Lake Zoar (target 10-20 feet of water), East Twin Lake, Mashapaug Lake, Rogers Lake (4 lb 7 oz bass), Cedar Lake, Bantam Lake, Bashan Lake, Lake Kenosia, Quonnipaug Lake (target 35 feet of water using live bait), Amos Lake, Ball Pond, Beach Pond, Messerschmidt Pond and Mudge Pond.

SMALLMOUTH BASS – Now is the time for some great fall fishing for these hard fighting fish. Good fishing is reported at Colebrook Reservoir, Lake Zoar (target 10-20 feet of water), Lake Lillinonah, Candlewood Lake (target 20 – 30 feet of water on humps near deep water, live bait & drop shot is the way to go), Bantam Lake (target 18 feet of water), Highland Lake (target 14-33 feet of water), Mashapaug Lake and Beach Pond.

NORTHERN PIKE – Areas to try include Bantam Lake, Winchester Lake and Pachaug Pond.

WALLEYE fishing is fair to good with reports from Gardner Lake, Saugatuck Reservoir and Squantz Pond.

CHAIN PICKEREL were reported from Upper Moodus Reservoir, Saugatuck Reservoir, Rogers Lake and Quonnipaug Lake.

BLACK CRAPPIE action reported from Silver Lake, Gardner Lake, Twin Brooks Park Pond and Lake Lillinonah.

CONNECTICUT RIVER

STRIPED BASS action in the lower river is slowing down as the Hickory Shad are moving out. Successful anglers are using plugs and eels.

BLACK CRAPPIE are providing some excellent action in the coves up and down the river for anglers using jigs & shiners.

NORTHERN PIKE fishing is reported as good. Fish have been found from Wethersfield Cove, Harbor Park (Middletown) down river to the Salmon River.

CARP are still being fished for by some very skilled anglers with some catches of 15 pounds being reported.

FISHING ACCESS, BOAT LAUNCH & DRAWDOWN INFORMATION

LAKE LILLINONAH is scheduled to be drawn down 5 feet beginning November 8th and ending November 16th. Launching trailered boats will be difficult at the Route 133 launch, and impossible at the Pond Brook launch during this drawdown.

A three-foot drawdown of HIGHLAND LAKE began on November 1st.

“Winter” drawdowns of a number of Eastern CT lakes are in progress. Reported lake depth status for the following water bodies is current as of Monday, November 4th.

Scheduled for 2-foot drawdown: LOWER BOLTON LAKE (full)

Scheduled for 3-foot drawdowns: BASHAN LAKE (down 12 inches), BESECK LAKE (down 12 inches), BIGELOW POND (down 16 inches), BILLINGS LAKE (down 15 inches) and POWERS LAKE (down 15 inches).

Scheduled for 5-foot drawdowns: PACHAUG POND (down 18 inches) and PICKEREL LAKE (down 10 inches).

Scheduled for 6-foot drawdowns: GARDNER LAKE (down 24 inches, reported as “un-launchable”) and MIDDLE BOLTON LAKE (down 52 inches).

Although the campground at Hopeville Pond State Park has closed for the season, access to the HOPEVILLE POND boat launch will be available through Thanksgiving (gate will be unlocked, please close after use).

The boat launch at Indian Well State Park on LAKE HOUSATONIC is currently scheduled to remain open for daytime use until December 1st.

Fishing access at LAKE SALTONSTALL will not be available for the rest of the 2008 season due to a planned drawdown to facilitate work on the spillway, inlets and embankment.

LAKE McDONOUGH is currently drawn down to the typical winter level (7-8 ft), remember that the boat launch closed after Labor Day weekend.

DEP has been informed that public access to ALEXANDER LAKE is no longer available.

The “seawall” area extending from the handicap-accessible fishing pier to the permitted swim area at SQUANTZ POND is currently open to fishing. Anyone with a fishing pole can now access the fence through the several gates. Anglers can also enter the water in that area (except for the one area posted “no trespassing”).

The fishing season at a small number of water bodies including LAKE WONONSCOPOMUC, GREEN FALLS RESERVOIR and BATTERSON PARK POND closed last Friday (October 31st). Anglers should check their 2008 Angler’s Guide for site-specific regulations including seasons.

MARINE FISHING REPORT

Water temperatures in Long Island Sound (LIS) are in the mid to upper 50’s °F. Check out the following web sites for more detailed water temperatures and marine boating conditions:
http://www.mysound.uconn.edu/stationstat.html
http://marine.rutgers.edu/mrs/sat_data/?nothumbs=1
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/
http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/AN/330.html

Remember to check the 2008 Connecticut Angler’s Guide for tidal information (page 52) and pages 49-51 for saltwater trophy fish award information.

Big bruiser BLUEFISH are still lurking around throughout LIS but should be on their way south as the water temperatures drop off in the lower 50’s. Slammers in the mid to upper teens are the norm.

STRIPED BASS -Schoolie striped bass action is pretty hot in the tidal rivers. Cow stripers are on the local reefs and rip areas such as the reefs off Watch Hill reefs, Sluiceway, Pigeon Rip, Plum Gut, Bartlett Reef, Black Point, Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef, Sixmile Reef, Falkner Island area, the reefs off Madison and Branford, Charles Island to Milford Point, Buoys 18 and 20 off Stratford/Bridgeport, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground, and the reefs off Norwalk.

HICKORY SHAD fishing also remains good in the Niantic and Connecticut Rivers (often can be found mixed in with schoolie stripers).

Tautog (blackfish) fishing remains good to excellent throughout LIS and the time to go is now before the weather gets nasty. Tog in the nine to ten pound range are being reported caught off the local reefs. The rock piles in Fishers Island Sound have been especially red hot!

For regulation updates, please check our web site www.ct.gov/dep/fishing.
DEP WEEKLY FISHING REPORT
CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106