DEP Weekly Report 4/26/06

1. INLAND REPORT: In-season trout stocking is well underway. Connecticut Trout Parks are experiencing heavy usage from families fishing. All are enjoying the frequent (7-10 day) stocking of these areas.
2. Locations to try for good trout: fishing include Baummer’s Pond, Angus Park Pond, Bunnells Pond, and the Stratton Brook, Black Rock, Wolfe Park (Great Hollow Pond), Horse Pond, Southford Falls, Wharton Brook, Chatfield Hollow, Kent Falls, Sleeping Giant (Mill River) and Natchaug River Trout Parks.
3. TROUT: Rivers & streams - The recent rainy weather has slowed everything down somewhat. However, anglers are still reporting good fishing for trout with reports from the Farmington (brown 21”), Housatonic (browns to 20”), Willimantic, Natchaug, Aspetuck, Bantam, Blackberry, Scantic, Naugatuck, Hammonasset, Salmon, Mill, Ten Mile, Eightmile (Southington), Mianus, Coginchaug, Pequonnic, Pequabuck, Yantic, Little (23”, 5 lb brown), Pomperaug and Hockanum Rivers, and Leadmine, Latimer, Salmon, Sandy, Roaring (Somers) and Roaring (Glastonbury) Brooks. Bait anglers are having success using earthworms or a mealworm/corn combination. Successful fly anglers used Winter/Summer Caddis (#18-22, early morning, minor hatch), Blue Wing Olive (#16-20, late morning-early afternoon), Blue Quills (#16-20, early afternoon) and Quill Gordons (#16-18, early/mid afternoon).
4. Farmington River water temperatures are in the low 50’s °F, with clearing flows of 150 CFS (Riverton) and an additional 130 CFS from the Still River. Hendricksons (#12-14, early afternoon) are in full hatch on the Farmington River now! Spinner fall occurs around 6:30 pm. Housatonic River morning water temperature is 55°F (TMA area) with 1,000 CFS of off color flows at Falls Village and 3,600 cfs at Gaylordsville. Blue Wing Olive, midges, Blue Quills, early caddis & stoneflies are suggested here. Streamers (white/yellow) and nymphs are producing some large fish. The Hendrickson hatch was a total blowout on the Housatonic River due to the high water and is over for the year.
5. Anglers Can Expect Good Fishing in western CT at the West Branch Farmington (above TMA), , East Aspetuck, Little, Nonewaug, Pomperaug, Pootatuck and Weekeepeemee Rivers, and the East and West Branch Salmon, Pond, Hop and Leadmine Brooks.
6. In eastern CT, good fishing can be expected at: Hammonasset, Hockanum, Hop, Jeremy, Middle, Natchaug, Quinebaug, Salmon, Shetucket, Skungamaug, Still (Eastford), Tankerhoosen and Yantic Rivers, and Broad (Preston), Bigelow, Choate, Crystal Lake, Indiantown, Kitt and Pattaconk Brooks.
7. Lakes & Ponds – Good trout fishing was found in many lakes and ponds throughout Connecticut with reports from Colebrook Reservoir, Mashapaug (mixed results), Rogers (good), Wonoscopomuc (22”, 4.3 lb brown), Highland (22” brown), Crystal (Ellington), Candlewood (22” brown) and East Twin (20 fish for one angler) Lakes, Squantz, Beach(some 12-15” browns among the catches), Great Hollow, Mt. Tom and West Hill (52 trout for 2 anglers) Ponds.
8. Anglers can expect good fishing in western CT at Black Rock Impoundment, East Twin, Fountain and Highland Lakes, Ball, Christensen's, Ender's, Mohawk, Mt. Tom, Tyler and West Side Ponds.
9. In Eastern CT, good fishing should be expected at: Walkers Reservoir, Amos, Billings, Pattaconk, Bashan, Cedar, Gardner, Quonnipaug and Wyassup Lakes, Beach,Black (Meriden/Middlefield), Beaver Brook (Bibbins), Day, Horse, Schreeder and Valley Falls Park Ponds.
10. LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing is productive as fish move onto the spawning beds. Try Mansfield Reservoir, Saugatuck Reservoir, East Twin, Saltonstall, Wonoscopomuc, Amos, Bashan (launching difficult), Quonnipaug (6.48 lb bass), Uncas, Ashland, Bantam, Congamond, Highland, Middle Bolton, Candlewood (6.5 lb bass) and Coventry Lakes, and Pachaug, Mudge and Ball Ponds.
11. SMALLMOUTH BASS are reported at Mansfield Hollow Reservoir, Lake Housatonic, Candlewood (great, including a 4.75 lb smallie), Bashan, and Gardner (spotty) Lakes, Squantz Pond and, West Hill and Ball Ponds.
12. CHAIN PICKEREL are being caught at: Wonoscopomuc Lake and Rogers Lake (21”).
13. BLACK CRAPPIE fishing is excellent at: Lake Saltonstall, West Twin (30 fish) and East Twin (13.5”) Lakes, and Avery, Glasgo and Park Ponds.
14. NORTHERN PIKE are showing up at Bantam Lake (30”), Hopeville Pond, Ashland Pond, and below the Pachaug dam.
15. Connecticut River – STRIPED BASS are in the river up to Enfield. Legal size fish (up to 40”) are now mixed in with the schoolies. Inland fishing license is required to fish in the Ct. River north of the railroad bridge in Old Lyme. Sand & blood worms are working as well as soft plastics.
16. NORTHERN PIKE are reported at Windsor, Haddam Meadows, Wethersfield Cove and White Oaks Cove.
17. CATFISH are being caught in Wethersfield & White Oaks Cove, Middletown & Cromwell area of the river.
18. SHAD are reported in the river up to the Bissell Bridge.
19. WHOPPERS – Brown trout; - Natchaug River (8.3 lbs, 26”, Jason Adams), Saugatuck Reservoir (6.5 lbs, Daniel Hripak of Bridgeport), Crystal Lake, Ellington (5 lbs, Ken Nyser).
20. NOTES: Launching from the state boat launches at Bashan Lake, Quaddick Reservoir and Beseck Lake remains difficult due to low water levels.
21. MARINE FISHING REPORT: STRIPED BASS fishing in the tidal rivers and harbors remain good for schoolies with HICKORY SHAD mixed in. Schoolies range in length from about 14 to 20 inches. The usual spots include the Pawcatuck River, Mystic River, Thames River, Niantic River, Connecticut River by Great Island, Sandy Point area in New Haven Harbor, Housatonic
22. River from the Devon power plant to the Derby Dam, and the Norwalk Islands.
23. WINTER FLOUNDER fishing is fair at Bluff Point/Poquonock River, Pine Island area, the Brothers, Niantic Bay, and Norwalk Harbor.