DEEP: Excellent Fishing For Numerous Species

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection reports that fishing is good to excellent for a number of species along the Connecticut shoreline. Surface temperatures in Long Island Sound range from the mid-60s to low 70s.

The department has also issued a special note regarding any accidental hooking of sandbar sharks and sand tiger sharks. Both species are protected and must be released unhooked. Anglers are advised to cut their lead if they catch one of these sharks and not bring it aboard their boat. More information on identifying these sharks can be found here.

Striped bass

The best times for finding these fish are early morning, prior to sunrise, or during the evening. The lower Thames River is one good fishing spot, and others include the Watch Hill reefs, the Race, Plum Gut, Pigeon Rip, Little Gull, outer Bartlett Reef, Black Point, Hatchett Reef, lower Connecticut River, Long
Sand Shoal, Cornfield Point, the outer portion of Southwest Reef, Six Mile Reef, the reefs off Branford, Faulkner’s Island, New Haven Harbor including Sandy Point, the Charles Island area, the Housatonic River, buoys 18 and 20 off Stratford Point, east of Milford, Stratford Shoal/Middle Ground, Bridgeport Harbor, Penfield Reef, the area around the Norwalk Islands, and Cable and Anchor Reef.

Using live lining with bunker, hickory, shad, eels, scup, or fresh cut bait on three way bottom rigs or fish finder rigs will work for "cow" bass. "Keeper" linesiders may be caught using tube jigs or worms in bubblegum or pink. Adult menhaden are also available for live bait.

Bluefish

Many choppers and "alligator-sized" blues are present in Long Island Sound. Bluefish weights are in the teens, while snapper bluefish are common and measuring three to six inches long.

Summer flounder (fluke)

Fishing is fair to good, and deep fishing with snapper bluefish bait could land a big one. Locations include the south side of Port Jefferson, Isabella Beach and Wilderness Point of Fishers Island, off the Stonington breakwater, the mouth of the Mystic River to Groton Long Point, the Thames River channel, Black Point/Niantic Bay, Long Sand Shoal, the Westbrook-Clinton area, the Falkner Island area, New Haven Harbor to West Haven, and the area off the mouth off the Housatonic River.

Scup (porgy)

Fishing is good to excellent, especially on reefs and rock piles. Shore sites with ideal fishing include , Rocky Neck State Park, and Meigs
Point Hammonassett State Park. Anglers are reporting plenty of porgies measuring 12 to 15 inches, and sandworms or other small pieces of bait are working.

Black sea bass

Fishing is good on reefs, wrecks, and fluking grounds. These bass are measuring up to 22 inches and four to five pounds. Fishing grounds range from the Norwalk Islands to the south and southwestern sides of Block Island, and fishing is best at slack tide.

Hickory shad

Fishing is good to excellent in the lower Connecticut River, and the shad mingle with snappers and harbor blues. Fishing is best at flood tide, while the best baits include willow leaf, kastmasters, small plastic jigs, and/or shad darts.

White perch

Fishing is good to excellent in the coves of the lower Connecticut River. Perch will also mix in with snapper blues and hickory shad, and the best bait includes grass shrimp/sandworm, kastmasters, and willow leafs. 

Blue crabbing

Plentiful crab populations are available in the tidal creeks of between Mystic and Stonington as well as Guilford and Westbrook. Some male crabs are measuring up to 7-9 inches, while female crabs can be found in the lower estuary.

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