This is a Preview of Connecticut Fishing Regulations.
For The complete Connecticut Fishing Regulations Summary Guidebook Click Here
This is a preview of Connecticut Fishing Information and Regulations. For the Connecticut state rules and regulations guidebook Click link above.
You can also access each individual state regulation guidebook by clicking the links below to the main state Regulations page. There you will find the official State regulation Guidebooks for Connecticut and the other 50 states and lower canadian providences.
These are just the overviews of the official state regulations.
The Actual state Connecticut Fishing regulation guidebooks are accessible by clicking on the state you would like to see from the home page map then clicking on the Connecticut state Fishing regulations books. There you will find the fishing rules and fishing laws overviews for Connecticut
They are also accessible by clicking on the Connecticut fishing reg. books below and accessing the Connecticut fishing regs link in the Connecticut Guidebooks listed below.
The complete Connecticut fishing Laws and Connecticut fishing rules are available at the pertinent government agencies and at most state libraries.
Enjoy be safe and have a great time exploring the site and remember to check back often to keep updated on all the new laws, rules, and Connecticut regulations pertaining to the Fishing, fishing, trapping, and wildlife sports. Also remember Connecticut Fishing Licenses, hunters education Information, Fishing maps and much more are available at the Connecticut Home Page.
Connecticut Fishing Laws, rules, and regulations preview.
ANGLING: Fishing with hook and line, which must be personally
attended. No more than two lines, with or without rods, may be used
at one time. Each line may have any combination of hooks, flies or
lures, of which a maximum of three hooks may be baited.
BAIT: Any animal or vegetable, or their parts, living or dead, used
with a hook for the purpose of attracting and catching fish. Any
fish legally acquired, except largemouth bass, smallmouth bass,
chain pickerel, northern pike, trout, salmon, carp and goldfish may
be used as bait.
BAIT SPECIES: The following species of fish, amphibians, aquatic
insects and crustaceans may be taken by sport fishermen for
personal use, but may only be sold if taken under an inland
commercial bait license.
Bait species- Common shiner, golden shiner, fallfish, creek chub,
spottail shiner, bridle shiner, blacknose dace, longnose dace, pearl
dace, bluntnose minnow, fathead minnow, cutlips minnow, chub
sucker, white sucker, killifish, mummichog, Atlantic & tidewater
silverside, sand lance, frogs (except northern leopard frog),
crayfish, perch bugs, hellgrammites and mayfly nymphs.
The legal methods for taking the bait species listed above
are as follows:
Rivers & streams- Bait species may be taken at any time with
seines not over 15 ft. long and 4 ft. deep, bait traps not over 20
inches long and 15 inches in diameter, and umbrella nets not
over 4 ft. by 4 ft.
Lakes & ponds- Bait species may be taken at any time with bait
traps not over 20 inches long and 15 inches in diameter and
umbrella nets not over 4 ft. by 4 ft. Seines shall not be used
in lakes and ponds except those designated by the DEP as
open to commercial taking of bait. Where posted, taking, use or
possession of fish as bait is prohibited in lakes and ponds.
All inland waters- During the open season for fishing, the species
listed above may also be taken by hand, angling and scoop net.
BARBLESS HOOK: A curved, pointed device, without a barb,
used to catch fish. Barbless hooks may be single, double or
treble, and each point must be without a barb. For the purposes
of this regulation, hooks manufactured with a barb are considered
barbless if the barb has been bent down to the hook, broken off or
otherwise made ineffective.
BOBBING: Fishing with a ball or mass of worms or other bait
attached to a hookless line held in the hand or a line attached to
a rod held in the hand.
BOW AND ARROW FISHING: Common carp, white suckers,
American eels and sea lampreys may be taken with a bow and
arrow. These species may be taken by archery in streams and
stream sections not stocked with trout, and in lakes and ponds, and
only taken during the open season for fishing in those waters. Use
of crossbows is prohibited. A fishing license is required
CAST NET: A net weighted at the edges which is cast out over bait
to capture it in shallow water. The use of cast nets is prohibited
in inland waters.
CHILDREN’S FISHING AREA: Angling in such areas is restricted
to children under sixteen years of age when posted as such.
CLOSED SEASON: That period of time during which all fishing is
prohibited in the area specified.
DAILY CREEL LIMIT: The quantity or number of fish of a species
or species group that can be taken by an individual angler during
the period from 12:01 a.m. to midnight.
Downrigger: A device, supplemental to a fishing line, used to
deploy, via an electric or handpowered winch, reel or spool that
projects over the side or stern of a boat and is used as a hoist,
main line and terminal weight, one or more fishing lines to a desired
depth in the water column.
FISHHOOK or hook: A curved, pointed device, with or without
barb, used to catch fish. Hooks may be single, double or treble
and each point shall be considered as a single hook.
FISHING OR SPORT FISHING: Taking or attempting to take fish.
In the Inland District, fishing is limited to angling, bow and arrow
fishing, bobbing, ice fishing, snagging or snatching, spearing, scoop
netting, and taking or attempting to take fish by hand.
FLOAT (BOBBER): Any buoyant object attached to a fishing line.
No floats may be used unless personally attended.
FLY: A single or double hook dressed with hair, feathers, tinsel,
thread, yarn or similar material to which no bait, spinner, spoon,
plug or other device is added.
FLY FISHING: Angling with the use of a fly reel, fly rod, fly line,
leader and a fly or flies. Extra weight may be built into the fly in
its construction, as in a weighted nymph, and additional weight
may be attached to the leader or line. The use of strike indicators
is permitted.
HAND-HELD JIG: A rod, jig stick or line held in the hand used for
fishing through the ice.
ICE FISHING: Not more than six tip-ups, floats (bobbers), similar
devices, or hand-held jigs or any combination thereof not exceeding
six in the aggregate may be used at one time. Persons under
sixteen years of age may use not more than two devices. Not
more than three baited hooks, with or without attractors, or three
ice flies, or three artificial lures, or any combination thereof not
exceeding three in the aggregate may be used with each tip-up,
float (bobber), or similar device or hand-held jig. Devices must be
personally attended. The name and address of the user must be
legibly stamped on or attached to all devices.
INLAND DISTRICT: Is the area inland of the demarcation lines as
listed on page 46.
Leadcore line: A fishing line constructed with a metal core.
MINIMUM LENGTH: Measured from the tip of the snout to the end
of the tail. No person shall possess any fish less than the lengths
specified and any fish less than the minimum length, shall, without
avoidable injury, be immediately returned to the water from which
taken.
PANFISH: Includes yellow perch, white perch, calico bass, rock
bass, bullheads, all species of catfish, and all species of sunfish.
POSSESSION LIMIT: The total number of fish of any species or
species group that may be possessed by one person either on the
person, on the waters of the state, the shores of these waters, or in
any type of vehicle and may not exceed the creel limits for one
day, as listed in this pamphlet. Fish so possessed shall be intact
to the extent that neither the heads nor tails have been removed.
Note that this does not restrict the number of legally acquired fish
that may be kept in storage at home.
SCOOP NET: A manually operated, flexible mesh net attached to a
hoop which is attached to a handle. The hoop may not be over 36
inches across the widest point and the mesh bag may not be more
than 36 inches in depth at its deepest point. The use of any such
net constructed of metal mesh or stiff plastic mesh is prohibited.
SEINE NET: A net weighted at the bottom, with top floats, that is
used to encircle fish.
SET LINE: A line with one or both ends secured to the shore, or to
a fixed or buoyant object in the water which is used for fishing and
is not personally attended. Use of set lines in the inland district is
prohibited.
SLOT LENGTHS: Length limits designated to reduce or increase
the taking of fish by anglers.
Protected slot lengths- Lengths between which fish may not be
kept by anglers.
Open slot lengths- Lengths between which fish may be kept by
anglers.
SNAGGING OR SNATCHING: The taking of fish by foul hooking,
that is hooking fish in any part of the body other than the mouth.
Snagging is prohibited in all waters in the Inland District except
that, in streams open to fishing throughout the year, menhaden,
alewives and blueback (glut) herring may be taken by these
methods. Anglers are reminded that there currently is an emergency
ban on the taking of anadromous alewife and blueback herring
(see page 7).
SPEARING: The use of any pointed instrument, with or without
barbs, propelled solely by hand. Common carp, American eels,
white suckers and sea lampreys may be taken by spearing in
streams or sections of streams not stocked with trout during the open
seasons for fishing in such waters. Prohibited in lakes and ponds.
Underwater spear fishing and the use of any type of spear gun
is prohibited in all waters within the Inland District.
STRIKE INDICATOR: Means a brightly colored, highly visible tab,
sleeve or bead or similar material used in fly fishing. Such devices
may be attached to the line or leader when used in areas restricted
to fly fishing only.
TAKE or taking : Killing, capturing or otherwise rendering into
possession, any fish or bait species, or attempting to kill, capture
or rendering into possession, or assisting in taking or attempting
to take any fish or bait species.
TROUT: Include brook (charr), brown, lake, and rainbow trout and
their hybrids.
URBAN FISHING AREAS
As part of DEP’s “No Child Left Inside” initiative, DEP initiated a pilot
program in 2006 to enhance fishing opportunities in Connecticut’s
major population centers.
The initial site for this program, Bunnells Pond in Bridgeport’s
Beardsley Park, was added to the spring trout stocking schedule
in 2006.
In 2007, Keney Park Pond (Hartford), Lake Wintergreen (Hamden/
New Haven), and Mohegan Park Pond (Norwich) were added to
the Urban Fishing program. DEP began stocking trout into Keney
Park Pond and Lake Wintergreen that spring. Trout had already
been stocked into Mohegan Park Pond for a number of years.
Trout can typically provide a spring (and possibly fall) fishery in
these areas. To provide a second, and year-round fishery, DEP
decided to stock channel catfish into the Urban fishing Areas.
In 2008, the program expanded into the City of Waterbury,
designating Lakewood Lake and Upper Fulton Park Pond as
Urban Fishing Areas. Lakewood Lake was added to the list of areas
stocked with channel catfish, and the current stocking of Upper
Fulton Park with trout will continue.
In the first two years (2007, 2008) of catfish stocking, a total of
9,700 adult-size (14-18”, 2-lb plus) channel catfish were stocked
into Urban Fishing Areas. An additional 1,500 9-12” fish were also
released into Lake Wintergreen.
cHANNEL CATFISH
In 2007, DEP began a channel catfish stocking program
in an effort to provide an additional year-round fishery for
a large game fish. This is the first time that the DEP has
released catfish into state waters.
The catfish stocked by DEP are farmed fish obtained from
commercial suppliers in Arkansas.
In In addition to the 9,700 catfish stocked in Urban Fishing
Areas during the first two years of the program, 20,000 9-12”
catfish were released into the following waters
Lower Bolton Lake Maltby Lakes 2 & 3 Pattaconk Lake
Black Pond Q uonnipaug Lake Silver Lake
All these lakes have adequate shore access and a
sufficient forage base to support another population of large
gamefish.
DEP expects the 9-12” fish released into these lakes will
survive for many years and grow to much larger size. To
jump start the fishery, 800 of the larger 14-18” catfish were
also stocked in 2007.
DEP currently plans to stock catfish annually. As with other
fisheries programs, both the channel catfish stocking and the
Urban Fishing programs will be assessed for effectiveness
after several years.
This was a Preview of Connecticut Fishing Regulations.
For The complete Connecticut Fishing Regulations Summary Guidebook Click Here

Enjoy be safe and have a great time exploring the site and remember to check back often to keep updated on all the new laws, rules, and Connecticut regulations pertaining to the Fishing, fishing, trapping, and wildlife sports. Also remember Connecticut Fishing Licenses, hunters education Information, Fishing maps and much more are available at the Connecticut Home Page.