DEP Weekly Fishing Report #4 5/15/08

TROUT
Rivers & streams - Anglers enjoyed comfortable conditions (weather & flows) and some very good trout fishing last weekend. Good reports include the West Branch Farmington, Farmington, Housatonic, Aspetuck, Farm, Tenmile, Bantam, Blackberry, Blackledge, Pequonnock, Saugatuck, Salmon, Green Falls, Natchaug, Naugatuck, Shetucket, Fenton, Moosup, Quinebaug, Hammonasset, Hockanum, Willimantic and Eightmile (East Haddam) Rivers, Crystal Lake Brook and Latimer Brook. Anglers have been finding success using worms, & corn/mealworm combinations.
Farmington River - flows are clear and comfortable for fishing, currently 250 CFS at Riverton with an additional 80 CFS from the Still River. The Wednesday morning water temperature was 53°F. Current hatches/patterns include Hendrickson (a.k.a red quills; #14), Blue Winged Olive (a.k.a. baetis or vagan; #18), Blue Quill (a.k.a. paralep; #18), Early Stonefly (#13-16), Quill Gordon (#14), Green Caddis & Brown/Tan Caddis. The Hendrickson hatch is fading and is mainly in the Riverton area. The spinner fall is in the TMA area. 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).
Housatonic River - Conditions are great for trout fishing. Flows are clear and moderate, about 700 CFS at Falls Village and 1,070 cfs at Gaylordsville. The Wednesday morning water temperature was 57°F. Current hatches include Green Caddis, Brown/Tan Caddis and Midges. Patterns producing include Caddis (#14-18, green, olive & tan), Henryville and March Brown (#10-12). Some Blue Wing Olives are on the water with Green Caddis starting to show up. Streamers fished around 6:30 pm on sinking-tip line have been very effective. For those nymphing, low & slow is working very well.
Anglers Can Expect Good Trout Fishing in western CT on Hall Meadow Brook, East Branch Naugatuck River, West Branch Naugatuck River, Leadmine Brook, Mill River (Including TMA), Farmill River, East Aspetuck River, Pootatuck River, Pequabuck River, Farmington River (Including TMA), Muddy River, Quinnipiac River and Pequonnock River.
In Eastern CT, good trout fishing can be expected at the Coginchaug River, Farm River, Branford River, Hunts Brook, Latimer Brook, Whitfords Brook, Five Mile River, French River, Pachaug River, Quinebaug River, Natchaug River, Mount Hope River, Fenton River, Moosup River (TMA area), Salmon River (including TMA) and Jeremy River
Lakes & Ponds – Connecticut lakes and ponds are fishing very well for trout with reports from Green Falls Reservoir, Saugatuck Reservoir, Lake Saltonstall, Lake Hayward, Quonnipaug, Crystal, East Twin, Wononscopomuc, Highland, Uncas, Billings, Wyassup, Candlewood, Alexander, Amos, Coventry, Mashapaug and Gardner Lakes, and Mohawk, Mt. Tom, Ball, Beach, Black (Woodstock), Stillwater, Long, West Hill and Squantz Ponds.
Anglers can expect good trout fishing in western CT at Stillwater Pond, Highland Lake, Nells Rock Reservoir, Pickett's Pond, Lake Winfield, Upper Fulton Park Pond, Prospect Town Park Pond, Scoville Reservoir, East Twin Lake, and the Wharton Brook, Wolfe Park (Great Hollow Pond) and Southford Falls Trout Parks. In Eastern CT, good trout fishing should be expected at Bashan Lake, Millers Pond, Lake Saltonstall, Wangumbaug Lake, Shenipsit Lake, Uncas Lake, Hewitt Fly Pond, Long Pond, Lantern Hill Pond, Hyde Mill Pond, Bigelow Pond, Mashapaug Lake, Quonnipaug Lake, Black Pond (Middlefield), and the Valley Falls Park Pond and Day Pond Trout Parks.
LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing is generally good with reports from Lake Saltonstall, Moodus Reservoir, East Twin, Wononscopomuc, Indian, Crystal, Candlewood, Beseck, Silver, Alexander, Bantam, Bashan, Rogers and Gardner Lakes, and Aspinook, Beach, Ball, Mono, Breakneck, Batterson, Dodge, Dog, Halls, Mudge and Hatch Ponds. Bass fishing is reported to be fair at Highland Lake, Lake Lillinonah, Hopeville Pond and Amos Lake (catches do include a 6 lb largemouth) and slow at Lake Zoar.
SMALLMOUTH BASS is generally fair with reports from Candlewood Lake (has slowed over the past several weeks), Coventry Lake, Highland Lake, Wyassup Lake and Squantz Pond. Smallie fishing at Gardner Lake continues to be slow.
WALLEYE action reported from Saugatuck Reservoir, Lake Saltonstall, Coventry Lake, Batterson Park Pond and Squantz Pond.
CONNECTICUT RIVER – STRIPED BASS are now found throughout the river, plenty of schoolie size (16-25”) fish with many keepers mixed in. Fish are responding to tube & worm, bait and soft plastics and have started to spread out as they target schools of bait. CATFISH are responding very well to dead bait, chunking, and sandworms with catfish up to 11 lbs reported. SHAD fishing has picked up, especially in the mainstem with many catches reported at the confluence with the Farmington River.

MARINE:
Water temperatures in Long Island Sound (LIS) are in upper 40’s °F.
Striped bass fishing for schoolies is good in many of the tidal rivers. Fish measuring from 12 to 18 inches is the norm. Striped bass spots include the Pawcatuck River, Mystic River, Thames River from Norwich down to New London/Groton area, Millstone Point, Niantic River, Hamburg Cove, Calves Island and off Great Island (the “Wood Lot”) in the Connecticut River, Hammonasset River, East and West Rivers in Guilford, Branford River, New Haven Harbor (Sandy Point), Milford Harbor, Housatonic River, Bridgeport Harbor (power plant warm water discharge), Mill River in Southport, Saugatuck River, Norwalk Harbor including the Norwalk River, Stamford and Greenwich Harbors. The worm hatch has also been reported in rivers and coves in eastern LIS and Rhode Island.
Winter flounder fishing remains hit or miss but some areas are more productive than others. Bluff Point State Park (Poquonock Cove), Pine Island area, Niantic River, North and South Brothers, Connecticut River east breakwater on the flood tide, Madison - Guilford area, and the Saugatuck River over to the channels in Norwalk Harbor are spots worth trying.
Rumors of bluefish have surfaced in eastern LIS and along the north shore of Long Island.
Hickory shad should be appearing any day in the Mystic, Niantic, and Connecticut Rivers.
Atlantic menhaden (bunker) have been reported in LIS.