CT DEP Weekly 5/17/06

1. TROUT:RIVERS & STREAMS - Prior to the rains, trout fishing was rated good to excellent with reports from the West Branch Farmington, Housatonic, Wepawaug, Mianus, Salmon, Mill, Hammonassett, Blackledge, Saugatuck, Norwalk, and Aspetuck Rivers, Salmon Brook and Deep Brook. Worms and corn/mealworm combinations have been working for bait anglers.
2. Farmington River water temperatures are in the low 50’s °F. with high (but somewhat fishable), clear flows of 560 CFS above the Still River in Riverton. Downstream of Riverton, the river is close to unfishable. The Still River is adding another 680 CFS (as of Thursday morning, 5/18), and farther downstream, the East Branch Farmington is adding an additional 700-1000 cfs. Although Still River flows should continue to drop over the weekend, elevated releases from West Branch Reservoir (Hogback) and Lake McDonough (into the East Branch) may continue through the weekend for management of water levels at Colebrook and Barkhamsted Reservoirs. Hatches included: Blue Winged Olive, Green Caddis & Brown/Tan Caddis. The Hendrickson (#12-14) hatch wasrapidly fading and is mainly above Riverton. Successful fly anglers used Blue Winged Olives (#18-20), Winter/Summer Caddis (#18-22), Rusty Spinners (#16-18), Midges (#22-32), Blue Quill (#16-18), Pheasant Tails (#14-18) and Mahogany Duns (#16-18) last week.
3. Housatonic River- Water temperatures are in the upper 50’s °F and flows are high (currently 3,050 cfs at Falls Village and 4,550 at Gaylordsville) but slowly declining (call NGS at 1-888-417-4837 for updated flow information). Current hatches included: Blue Winged Olive, Green Caddis, Brown/Tan Caddis and Midges. March Brown hatch is coming soon. Caddis (#14-18, green, olive & tan), Henryville, March Brown (#10-12)were producing. Some Blue Wing Olives were on the water with Green Caddis starting to show up. Streamers fished around 6:30 pm on sinking-tip line had been very effective.
4. Anglers Can Expect Good Fishing in western CT at the Bantam, East Aspetuck, Mill (Fairfield), Pomperaug, Shepaug and Wepawaug Rivers, Butternut, Macedonia and Salmon (East Branch) Brooks, and the Sleeping Giant (Mill river-Hamden) and Kent Falls Trout Parks.
5. In eastern CT, good fishing can be expected at the Blackledge, Fenton, Hammonasset, Hop, Little (Canterbury), Middle, Mount Hope, Natchaug, Scantic, Skungamaug, Ten Mile (Lebanon), and Willimantic Rivers, Roaring Brook (Glastonbury), Roaring Brook (Stafford) and Furnace Brook (Stafford).
6. LAKES & PONDS – Due to the rain trout fishing was slow in many lakes and ponds throughout Connecticut. Adventurous anglers that did fish found some success with catches reported from Colebrook Reservoir, Saugatuck Reservoir, Great Hollow, Squantz, Upper Fulton Park, Branford Supply, West Hill and Baummer’s Ponds, andCandlewood, Coventry, Highland and East Twin Lakes.
7. Anglers can expect good fishing in western CT at Mohegan Lake, Hop Brook Impoundment, West Branch Reservoir, West Hill Pond, and the Black Rock, WolfePark (Great Hollow Pond), Southford Falls, and Wharton Brook Trout Parks.
8. In Eastern CT, good fishing should be expected at: Cedar Lake, Rogers Lake, Gay City Park Pond, Angus Park Pond and the Horse Pond Trout park.
9. LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing is picking up with reports from Lake Saltonstall (good), Candlewood (fair), Beseck, Bantam, East Twin, Quonnipaug and Bashan Lakes, and Glasgo, Pachaug and Long Ponds.
10. SMALLMOUTH BASS action reported from: Saugatuck Reservoir, Candlewood Lake (continues to be excellent, with many fish in the 3-4 lb range), Highland Lake, Gardner Lake, and Squantz Pond.
11. WALLEYE are being reported from Lake Saltonstall (plenty of catches including a 5.9 lb walleye), Coventry Lake and Squantz Pond (a 7 lb walleye among the catches).
12. CONNECTICUT RIVER – High flows make make boating/fishing difficult. STRIPED BASS are now up to Windsor. Mostly schoolie size (16-25”) fish with many keepers mixed in. A 48”striper was caught Tuesday (5/17/06). River herring started to show up in the upper part of the river. Fish are responding to tube & worm, bait and soft plastics, and have started to spread out as they target the bait schools. A reminder to anglers that an Inland fishing license is required to fish in the CT River north of the I-95 bridge in Old Lyme/Old Saybrook.
13. SHAD fishing is reported as poor to slow in the mainstem with some catches being reported at the confluence of the Farmington River last week before the flooding.
14. MARINE: With all the rain over this past week STRIPED BASS fishing for schoolies in the tidal rivers and harbors has dropped off. After the deluge resides, striper spots worth trying include the Pawcatuck River, Napatree Point to Sandy Point, lower Mystic River, Thames River, Niantic River, Connecticut River by Calves Island, Great Island and North and South Cove, Sandy Point area in New Haven Harbor, Milford Harbor, Housatonic River from the Devon power plant to the Derby Dam, and around the Norwalk Islands. Cow bass in the 40+ inch range are in the Race, Sluiceway, and Plum Gut.
15. SUMMER FLOUNDER fishing is good off Montauk Point, Fishers Island on the south side, Black Point, Horton Point to Mattituck Inlet, and Port Jefferson.
16. BLUEFISH fishing is more consistent in the Race, Plum Gut and off Millstone Point.