CT DEP Weekly Fishing Report #11 7/11

• LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing remains good to excellent in many areas. Areas to try include Upper Moodus Reservoir, Quaddick Reservoir, Lake Chamberlain, Lake McDonough, Scoville Reservoir, Candlewood, East Twin, Wonoscopomuc, Bashan, Lower Bolton (great early mornings), Waramaug, Quonnipaug , Amos, Pickerel and Rogers Lakes, and Batterson Park, Gorton, Black, Mudge, Ball, and Dooley Ponds.
• SMALLMOUTH BASS action reported from Lake McDonough, Highland Lake, Candlewood Lake, Mashapaug Lake, Lake Waramaug and Squantz Pond. With the warmer temperatures, smallmouth bass fishing on the Housatonic River is good to excellent. Also, there have been some good reports for river smallies from the Naugatuck and Farmington (Tariffville area) Rivers.
• NORTHERN PIKE- Good catches reported at Bantam Lake, Winchester Lake, Hopeville Pond, Pachaug Pond, Lake Lillinonah, and the Housatonic River. Several pike also caught from the Pachaug River.
• CHAIN PICKEREL are reported from Moosup Reservoir, Quonnipaug Lake, Highland Lake, Wonoscopomuc Lake, Black Pond and Wood Creek Pond.
• KOKANEE (fish to 18”) are producing good fishing (try 25-30 feet) at West Hill Pond.
• WALLEYE catches are being reported from Lake Saltonstall, Coventry Lake, Batterson Park Pond and Squantz Pond.
• TROUT: Rivers & streams - With summer temperatures fully entrenched, early morning and late evenings are the best times for both trout and trout fishing. Some great reports from the West Branch Farmington (TMA), also some nice catches reported from the Norwalk River, Farmington River, Naugatuck river (TMA), Housatonic River, Pomperaug River, Saugatuck River (TMA), Salmon Brook and Coppermine Brook.
• Farmington River water temperatures are in the mid to upper 50’s °F (West Branch TMA). Flows are clear, and should remain quite fishable, currently 265 cfs at Riverton, plus an additional 65 cfs from the Still River. Hatches/patterns include Needhami (major hatch, #26-28, early morning), Isonychia (#10-12, evening), Blue Wing Olives (#18-20 & #24-28, cloudy days, mid-late afternoon), Summer Caddis (tan #18-22, all day; green #22-26, evening), Invaria and Dorothea. Also, try below surface on nymphs, wets and streamers.
• Housatonic River morning water temperatures have dropped back to the low 70’s °F (from 77 °F earlier this week). Wednesday’s storms provided some much needed rainfall to parts of northwest CT, and flows are currently murky and have increased to about 770 cfs at Falls Village and 960 cfs at Gaylordsville (as of Thursday, 7/12). Weekend conditions should be great for fishing, flows should clear and drop by then, and air temperatures are forecast to remain moderate through the weekend. Insect hatches include Alder/Zebra Caddis (action slowing, #10-12, afternoon-evening near overhangs), Blue Wing Olive (#18-22, early morning; spinner fall in evening), Isonychia (#12-14 evening), Light Cahill (#12-14, evening), and Tan & green caddis (#14-16, early morning & evening). Golden stonefly (dead drifted deep; very hot!) nymphs hatch at first light and adults egg-lay after dark. Note that temperatures are expected to rise early next week.
• Lakes & Ponds – A number of lakes are still producing good trout including East Twin Lake (browns to 20”), Highland Lake, Wonoscopomuc Lake, Crystal Lake (Ellington), Alexander Lake and West Hill Pond.
• Connecticut River:
• NORTHERN PIKE fishing is good with good catches are reported in coves, Haddam Meadows and the mainstem from Hartford downstream to Haddam.
• STRIPED BASS are still being taken at night in the lower river, live eels and tube & worm working best.
  
• Some SMALLMOUTH BASS are being caught in the Enfield area.
• LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing from Wethersfield to Chapman’s Pond was reported to be fair, catches included a 5-lb largemouth.
  
• CATFISH (8-10 lbs.) fishing is very good, with frozen herring & cut/chunk bait working best.
• STRIPED BASS fishing for school stripers remains good in the lower Pawcatuck River, Mystic River, Thames River, lower Connecticut River, Sandy Point in New Haven Harbor, Milford Harbor jetties, Housatonic River including Milford Point up to the Devon area, Bridgeport Harbor (Seaside Park), Penfield Reef, and Norwalk Harbor including around the islands. The local reefs continue to hold larger “cow“ bass. Striper hang outs include the Watch Hill reef complex, Ram Island Reef, the Race, the Sluiceway, Plum Gut, Bartlett Reef, Black Point, Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef, the rip off Duck Island, the reefs off Branford, New Haven Harbor including the breakwaters, Milford Harbor- Charles Island area, Bridgeport Harbor, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground area, and the reefs around the Norwalk Islands. Live-lining eels, bunker or hickory shad or slow trolling the tube and worm combination are effective methods for those big slammers. Just remember to use non-offset (straight) circle hooks when using bait to prevent “gut hooking” fish.
• BLUEFISH fishing remains good throughout LIS. The sound seems to be invaded with 2-lb choppers making life tough for anglers fishing for summer flounder. Larger bluefish tend to be on the major reefs and rip areas. These spots include the Race, Plum Gut, Bartlett Reef, Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Sixmile Reef, the reefs off Branford, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground area, and the Norwalk Islands area.
• SNAPPER BLUEFISH should be appearing any day in tidal creeks and rivers!
• SUMMER FLOUNDER (fluke) fishing remains good at the usual places: Sandy Point in the Stonington area, lower Mystic River over to Latimer Point, south shore of Fishers Island, Twotree Island Channel, Niantic River, Black Point, lower Connecticut River, Long Sand Shoal, Hammonasset Beach, New Haven Harbor off the breakwaters, Charles Island to Stratford Point, outer Bridgeport Harbor, and off the Norwalk Islands.
• SCUP and TAUTOG fishing is good on the local reefs. Scup measuring 14 to a whopping 17 inches in length have been reported.
• HICKORY SHAD can be caught off the DEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier in Old Lyme.
  
• There have been reports of BLUE CRABS but nothing great so far.