Let Fishing Season Begin!

This information was provided by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection:

Is the gear ready? Do you have your license? Have you made the plans to meet up with family and friends? Opening day of trout fishing season is Saturday, April 21 and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has the state’s rivers, streams, lakes and ponds stocked and ready.

Since mid-February, approximately 376,000 trout have been released into over 100 lakes and ponds and 200 rivers and streams throughout Connecticut and are now awaiting the state’s many anglers. DEEP’s spring trout stocking effort will continue through the end of May and when completed, DEEP expects to have stocked over 600,000 catchable size trout.

“Opening Day is an exciting time for Connecticut’s many trout anglers, and they can look forward to exceptional fishing this season,” DEEP Commissioner Daniel C. Esty.  “The fish are in excellent condition, nearly all of our trout waters are stocked and anglers can enjoy a wide range of fishing options. Additionally, Opening Day is a special time for many families, the traditional first time to get outdoors together after winter.”

DEEP has stocked numerous points of the Farmington River. Find access maps of the Farmington and all of the state’s trout streams and rivers showing the many stocking and access points on the DEEP Fisheries web pages (www.ct.gov/deep/fishing). These maps are just one of several ongoing projects to improve electronic communications with anglers.

Many trout fishing areas do have special regulations, including Trout Parks (which have a two trout per day creel limit), Trout Management Areas, Trophy Trout Streams, Sea-Run Trout Streams and Wild Trout Management Areas. Anglers are advised to consult the 2012 Connecticut Angler’s Guide for the current fishing regulations that apply to the waters they plan to fish. 

Anglers can purchase their fishing licenses online or at participating town halls, DEEP field offices and fishing tackle vendors. With town hall now closed for the weekend, licenses can be purchased at UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford.

Both the Angler’s Guide and the online licensing system can be accessed on the DEEP website at:www.ct.gov/deep/fishing.

Information about the conditions on the Farmington can be found at http://farmingtonriver.com/news.htm.

, next to Whole Donut on Route 44, will sell nightcrawlers and mealworms throughout the season, including 4 to 7 p.m. tonight (Friday) and beginning at 3 a.m. on opening day. Fishermen can find flies and material at UpCountry in New Hartford and Orvis in Avon. 

Numbers and types of catchable size trout & salmon stocked for Opening Day and list of Trout Parks.

The following species & sizes of trout & salmon will be stocked for Opening Day, 2012:

61,800

brook trout

(10-11 inch)

192,600

brown trout

(10-11 inch)

6,500

brown trout

(12 inch)

1,100

tiger trout

(10-12 inch brook/brown hybrid)

96,100

rainbow trout

(10-12 inch)

16,000

rainbow trout

(12-14 inch)

1,900

surplus broodstock

(3-10 pound trout – all species)

600

Atlantic salmon broodstock

(1-2 pound salmon)

The following is a list of the designated Trout Parks in Connecticut, approximate stocking times are given for the areas scheduled to be stocked on Opening Day:

Trout Parks

Opening Day stocking time 

Black Rock State Park* (Watertown)

8:00  am

Chatfield Hollow State Park* (Killingworth)

9:30 am

Day Pond (Colchester)

Mohegan Park Pond (Norwich)*

8:00 am

Kent Falls State Park (Kent)

Natchaug River (Eastford)

Southford Falls State Park* (Oxford)

10:00 am

Stratton Brook State Park* (Simsbury)

8:00 am

Valley Falls Pond (Vernon)*

8:15 am

Wharton Brook State Park* (Wallingford)

10:00 am

Wolfe Park – Great Hollow Lake* (Monroe)

10:00 am

*Stocked on Opening Day

Note- all times approximate