Courtesy Connecticut DEP

INLAND REPORT

LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing is generally fair to good. The best reports for largemouth are from Bashan Lake, Candlewood Lake, Cedar Lake, Coventry Lake, Crystal Lake, Lake Saltonstall, Uncas Lake (a 23 incher among the catches), Lake Wauramaug, West Hill Pond and Lake Wonoskopomuc, and fair reports from Bantam Lake, Beach Pond, Beseck Lake, the Bolton Lakes, lower Farmington River, Glasgo Pond, Long Pond, Mansfield Hollow Reservoir, Rainbow Reservoir, Rogers Lake, Stateline Pond, Winchester Lake and Lake Zoar. Other areas to try include Lake McDonough, East Twin Lake, Morey Pond, Halls Pond, Quonnipaug Lake, Bishop Swamp, Dog Pond, Moosup Lake, Roseland Lake, Pachaug Pond and Billings Lake. Tough fishing reported from Lake Lillinonah, Powers Lake and Stillwater Pond.

SMALLMOUTH BASS fishing continues to be good to very good at Candlewood Lake and in the upper Housatonic River. Some catches also reported from Lake McDonough, Colebrook Reservoir, Rainbow Reservoir, Bantam Lake, Lake Lillinonah, Lake Zoar (best in the upper area), the upper Quinebaug River and the Farmington River (Tariffville).

NORTHERN PIKE catches reported from Lake Lillinonah, Bantam Lake, Pachaug Pond and Winchester Lake.

Some WALLEYE are being reported from Squantz Pond, Lake Saltonstall and Mashapaug Lake.

Anglers continue to find KOKANEE SALMON at East Twin Lake.

CHAIN PICKEREL are being caught at Lake Waramaug, Bashan Lake, Wononskopomuc Lake (some 3-4 lb fish among the catches) and Bantam Lake.

SUNFISH are providing excellent summer time action throughout the state. Use worms, grubs, jigs or small poppers for them. Local ponds are usually good sunnie locations, for larger areas try Bishop Swamp, Halls Pond, Red Cedar Lake, Uncas Lake, Dog Pond, Candlewood Lake, Winchester Lake, Gardner Lake, Tyler Lake, Crystal Lake, Stillwater Pond and Park Pond.

CONNECTICUT RIVER – CATFISH continue to provide excellent action at night on cut bait. Sunfish and locally caught cut bait are being used successfully for them. Target outside bends of the river and the upstream side of deeper holes near structure. SMALLMOUTH BASS is fair to good north of Hartford (Enfield area, and near the mouth of the Farmington River) and along the mainstem from Hartford to Middletown. Some LARGEMOUTH BASS are being taken, coves, back areas and along weedlines best. Catches include a 5-lb largemouth. NORTHERN PIKE have been hard to find, try coves, the mainstem in the Middletown and Haddam Meadows areas, and at tributary mouths. STRIPED BASS action is very spotty in the lower river on chunk bait. Continued...

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TROUT

Rivers & streams - Flows are low to very low in many areas throughout the state and trout fishing was generally slow again last week. Notable exceptions are the West Branch Farmington and Farmington Rivers, which continue to fish well. As the summer begins to wind down, anglers can find terrestrial fly patterns to be productive. Especially with the heat and low flows this summer, anglers should take extra care when handling fish they plan to release.

Anglers are reminded that the thermal refuge areas on the Housatonic, Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers are currently closed to fishing. These areas will reopen on Sept. 1. There is no fishing within 100 feet of the mouths of posted tributaries to these rivers.

Farmington River – Trout fishing remains good (look for some very good action in the colder water up from Riverton). Water temperatures are in the low to mid 60s (West Branch TMA, rising some during the day, and higher downstream). West Branch flows are clear and have again dropped, with releases from the West Branch Reservoir (Goodwin Dam) now reduced to 113 cfs, and inputs from the Still River remain low, currently at 8 cfs. Further reductions in flow are possible, should the upper Farmington River watershed continue to receive inadequate rainfall.

Hatches/patterns include the Trico (Trycorythodes stygiatus, #24-26), Ephemerella needhami (#22-26, early morning), Leadwing Coachman (Isonychia bicolor, #10-12, fast water, evening), Blue Wing Olives (Drunella sps. & Baetis sps.;#14-20, mid-late afternoon), Sulphurs duns (#14-16, morning; afternoon to early evening for spinners), Cahills/Summer (Stenonema ithaca, #12-18, early morning), Caddis (tan #16-20, all day; green #22-26, evening; summer pupa, #18-20 morning), Midges (#22-32, morning), Black Ants (#18-20, mid day in fast water), Flying Ants (#18-22, mid day, when windy/humid), Stone Hopper (#8-12, mid day) and Golden Drake (Anthopotamus distinctus, #10-14, late evening).

Housatonic River – Trout fishing has been slow. This week, morning water temperatures have moderated some, currently in the upper 60s to low 70s (and rising during the day). Flows are clear and continue to be low, currently 200 cfs at Falls Village and 230 cfs at Gaylordsville. The extended periods of high temperatures and low flows experienced this summer are especially stressful to trout, so consider switching to smallmouth bass (these conditions are good for smallie fishing). Those targeting trout need to take extreme care when handling trout they plan to release!

Hatches/patterns include Sulfurs (#12-16 dusk/dark), Blue Wing Olive (#18-24, early morning; spinner fall in evening), Leadwing Coachman (#10-12 evening), Light Cahill (#12-14, evening), and Black caddis (#14-20, early morning & evening). For the most part, the White fly (Ephoron leukon, #12-14, dawn & dusk) hatch is over. Try Black/Cinnamon Ants (#18-22, mid day in fast water) and Flying Ants (#18-22, mid day, when windy/humid). Don’t forget streamers (morning & evening), try White Wooly Buggers, Muddlers, Micky Finn, Grey or Black Ghosts (#4-10).

Lakes & Ponds - Anglers are finding some summer trout action in a number of lakes and ponds, with reports from Crystal Lake (Ellington, early/night), Coventry Lake, Highland Lake, East Twin Lake (at 35-40 feet), Beach Pond, Long Pond and West Hill Pond.

NOTES & NOTICES:

♦The Bayberry Lane State Boat Launch Groton is closed for renovations to Dec. 31. Continued...

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♦Due to scheduled dam maintenance projects, drawdowns of Moodus Reservoir (Lower & Upper) and Rainbow Reservoir are scheduled to commence immediately after the Labor Day weekend (9/4 – 9/6). It is anticipated that the affected boat launches will be unusable by many trailer boats once planned drawdown depths are reached.

TIPS & TRICKS – BASS NIGHT FISHING

♦Color Considerations -- Darker color baits create more contrast against the night sky. Blue is the last color to disappear as light fades with twilight or depth. If you want to add color to black baits make it blue.

♦Reduce boat clutter -- Less clutter is better. Keep the deck clear of as much as possible.

♦Handy storage -- Use plastic snuff cans as pocket-size tackle boxes.

♦Tools -- Keep tools handy so you won't make noise when you need them.

♦Lamp-lit Water -- Don't pass up lamp-lit areas around docks, parking lots, parks, etc. at night, because the entire food chain migrates to those areas. Position your boat to cast toward the light. Bass will be looking in that direction.

♦Retrieves -- Slow and steady does it. Fish are able to find the source of a vibration if you keep the retrieve at a slow and steady pace.

♦Sound -- Insert rattles in soft plastics. Fish sense the presence of nearby prey by vibration and sound. When they get close enough to spot a moving shape they will hit it.

♦Knots -- Learn to tie a Palomar knot with your eyes closed. There are other knots with higher break points, but none is easier to tie and more fool-proof than the Palomar. Continued...

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♦Fishing Glue -- A drop of glue on the eye of the hook will keep soft plastic baits in place. It's easy to overlook a twisted or slipped lure in the dark.

♦Keep quiet -- Avoid banging around in the boat or at the dock. Avoid bumping your boat into rocks and logs in the water. Walk softly along the shore when bank-fishing.

♦Avoid insect repellents -- If you do decide to spray yourself down, be sure not to transfer DEET to your lures. It is a proven fish repellent. In some areas bugs swarm for an hour or so after sunset and again before dawn. In the middle of the night, they're not bad at all.

MARINE FISHING REPORT

Reminder to anglers: The DEP has received multiple reports of sand tiger sharks being caught in Connecticut waters this summer and would like to remind fishermen that THE TAKE AND POSSESSION (regardless of where taken) OF MANY SPECIES OF SHARKS IS PROHIBITED IN CONNECTICUT. These species include Atlantic angel, basking, bigeye sand tiger, bigeye sixgill, bigeye thresher, bignose, Caribbean reef, Caribbean sharpnose, dusky, Galapagos, longfin mako, narrowtooth, night, sand tiger, sevengill, sixgill, smalltail, whale, and white sharks. In addition, the commercial fishery for several additional species of coastal sharks is closed in Connecticut. Commercial fisherman should contact the DEP Marine Fisheries Division at 860-434-6043 for more information.

Surface water temperatures in Long Island Sound (LIS) remain in the low to mid 70s.

STRIPED BASS fishing is good especially from dusk to dawn as long as you can avoid bluefish. BLUEFISH fishing is red hot with fish ranging in size from 4 to 12 lbs. The usual locations for stripers and bluefish include the reefs off Watch Hill, Ram Island Reef and East and West Clumps (Fishers Island Sound), lower Thames River, the Race (by Race Rock and Valiant Rock), outer Bartlett Reef, the Sluiceway, Plum Gut, Pigeon Rip, warm water discharge from Millstone Power Station, the “humps” south of Hatchett Reef, Long Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, Southwest Reef, Sixmile Reef, Falkner Island area, reefs off Guilford and Branford, New Haven Harbor, buoys #18 and #20 off Bridgeport, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground, Black Rock Harbor, Penfield Reef, Norwalk Islands, Cable and Anchor Reef, Smith Reef and Stamford and Greenwich Harbors. Snapper blue fishing is good in the tidal creeks.

SUMMER FLOUNDER fishing has slackened off a bit but doormats can still be taken in deeper water (60+ feet). The usual fluke spots include the Sandy Point area in Stonington, Stonington flats south of the breakwaters, Ram Island Reef to Latimer Point and around Seaflower Reef (Fishers Island Sound), south side of Fishers Island, lower Thames River, Twotree Island Channel, Niantic River, Black Point, White Sands Beach, Long Sand Shoal, Southwest Reef area, Falkner Island area, off the New Haven breakwaters, off the mouth of the Housatonic River to buoys #18 and 20 off Bridgeport, south of the Norwalk Islands and the north shore of Long Island.

SCUP (porgy) fishing remains good to excellent on the major reefs and rock piles throughout LIS.

BLACK SEA BASS fishing has picked up in the eastern section of LIS and for those willing to travel to Block Island Sound – fishing is excellent.

HICKORY SHAD are in the lower Connecticut River and fishing is rated good.

BLUE CLAW CRABBING remains excellent in any of the tidal creeks along the coast.

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