CT DEP Weekly Fishing Report #12 7/18

• LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing continues to be good to excellent. Areas to try include Upper Moodus Reservoir, Quaddick Reservoir, Wononscopomuc, East Twin, Bashan, Gardner, Candlewood, Waramaug, Beseck, Middle Bolton, Wyassup, Mashapaug, Pickerel, Crystal (Ellington) and Kenosia Lakes, and Messerschmidt, Ball, Mudge, Ross, Long, Batterson Park, Black (Woodstock) & Hatch Ponds.
• SMALLMOUTH BASS are reported at Lake McDonough, Candlewood, Highland, Coventry, Mashapaug and Bashan Lakes. The Housatonic River smallmouth are keeping anglers very busy, and some fair to good fishing for smallies is reported from the Farmington River (Tariffville area).
• NORTHERN PIKE fishing is reported to be good in Lake Lillinonah, Bantam Lake, Quaddick Reservoir, Hopeville Pond, Pachaug Pond and the upper Housatonic River.
• CHAIN PICKEREL are reported from Mashapaug, Highland, Wonoscopomuc & Winchester lake(s) & Wood Creek Pond.
• KOKANEE (fish between 25-30’) are providing good fishing at West Hill Pond.
• WALLEYE catches reported from Lake Saltonstall, Coventry Lake and Squantz Pond.
• CALICO BASS action reported from Highland Lake, Silver Lake and Park Pond.
• PANFISH season is heating up with the arrival of warm summer temperatures. Now is the time to get the family out and experience the fast-paced action of fishing for panfish. Locations to try for good panfish fishing include Quinnebaug, Gardner, Hayward, Amos, Lower Bolton, Highland and Waramaug Lakes, and Mudge, Hatch, Bishop, Ball and Black (Meriden) Ponds.
• TROUT: Rivers & streams - Trout fishing in the West Branch and mainstem Farmington continues to be very good. Other areas reporting good catches last week include the Housatonic, Naugatuck, Natchaug and Coginchaug Rivers. Early and late in the day are the best fishing times during the summer. Expect rainbow trout to be in the faster water and browns in the larger, deeper pools. Bait fisherman are using a corn/mealworm combination.
• The Farmington River continues to quite fishable. Flows remain clear and moderate, about 275 cfs at Riverton with an additional 20 cfs from the Still River. Morning water temperatures (West Branch TMA) are in the upper 50’s °F. Needhami (major hatch, #22-26, early morning), Isonychia (#10-12, evening), Blue Wing Olives (#16-20 & #24-26, cloudy days, mid-late afternoon), Ephemerella dorothea (Sulphurs duns #16-20, Riverton mainly, morning; afternoon to early evening for spinners), Caddis (tan #14-18, all day; green #22-26, evening) & Midges (#22-28, morning) are successful patterns. Also try below the surface on nymphs, wets and streamers.
• Housatonic River morning water temperatures are again in the low 70’s °F. Flows are quite fishable, fairly clear with moderate flows, currently (as of 7/19) about 420 cfs at Falls Village and 580 cfs at Gaylordsville. Insect hatches include Alder/Zebra Caddis (action slowing, #10-12, afternoon-evening near overhangs), E. dorothea (#14-16, evening), Blue Wing Olive (#18-26, early morning; spinner fall in evening), Isonychia (#10-12 evening), Light Cahill (#12-14, evening), and Tan & green caddis (#14-16, early morning & evening). Midges (#20-26) and stoneflies are located at the mouths of streams. Golden stonefly (dead drifted deep) nymphs hatch at first light and adults egg-lay after dark. Don’t forget streamers (morning & evening). Patterns to try include White Zonkers, Wooly Buggers, Muddlers, Micky Finn, Grey or Black Ghosts (#4-10).
• Lakes & Ponds – Good summertime trout fishing reported from Crystal Lake (Ellington), Alexander Lake, East Twin Lake, Highland Lake, Wononscopomuc Lake, West Hill Pond, Beach Pond and Long Pond.
• Connecticut River – NORTHERN PIKE fishing is good with catches reported from Hartford downstream to Salmon River Cove, especially the coves and the Haddam Meadows area. STRIPED BASS (to 25 lbs.) are being taken at night in the lower river on live eels & home made lures. Fair to good SMALLMOUTH BASS fishing in the upper river, catches include a 3.5 lb smallie and a number of bass in the 2 lb range. CATFISH (lots of fish up to 11 lbs) are consistently being taken on frozen herring & cut/chunk bait (eels & shad).
• STRIPED BASS fishing for school stripers is fair to good in the lower tidal rivers. The places to go include the 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 and rip areas such as the reefs off Watch Hill, 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 are holding larger “cow” stripers.
• BLUEFISH fishing remains good throughout LIS with a mix bag of fish ranging in size from 2 lbs to the lower teens. These spots include the Race, Plum Gut, Bartlett Reef, Hatchett Reef, Connecticut River from the Baldwin (I-95) Bridge to the breakwaters, Long Sand Shoal, Sixmile Reef, the reefs off Branford, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground area, Penfield Reef, and the Norwalk Islands.
• SNAPPER BLUEFISH have arrived but are about in the 3 to 4 inch range.
• SUMMER FLOUNDER (fluke) fishing is good off Sandy Point in the Stonington area, lower Mystic River over to Latimer Point, south shore of Fishers Island, Twotree Island Channel (Waterford), Niantic River, Black Point, lower Connecticut River, Long Sand Shoal, Hammonasset Beach, New Haven Harbor, Charles Island to Stratford Point, outer Bridgeport Harbor (buoy 18), and off the Norwalk Islands.
• SCUP and TAUTOG fishing remains good on the local reefs.
• HICKORY SHAD can be caught in the Niantic River between Rte. 156 and the railroad bridge and off the DEP Marine Headquarters fishing pier (lower Connecticut River) in Old Lyme.
• BLUE CRABS are around in good numbers in the tidal creeks. Reports of up to 40 crabs being caught in a couple of hours by two crabbers fishing from a boat but most were sub-legal in size.