Inland District Statewide Species Regulations

Connecticut Fishing

Species	Notes	Legal methods	Area	Open Season*	Minimum Length	Daily Creel Limit
Alewife/ Blueback Herring	Daily creel limit is for both species in aggregate.	Taking of anadromous alewife & blueback herring from all Connecticut waters is prohibited. Emergency closure is in effect. See Broodstock Atlantic Salmon & River Herring for more information. Exception: Landlocked alewife only may be taken from specific lakes. See Broodstock Atlantic Salmon & River Herring for list of lakes. Methods, seasons & creel limits for these lakes are as follows:
		Angling	Lakes & Ponds	Open year-round*	No minimum length	25
		Scoop Net	Lakes & Ponds	April 1 – June 15	No minimum length	25
American Eel	Spearing and bow and arrow use prohibited in streams or stream sections stocked with trout. Spearing prohibited in all lakes & ponds. The taking of elver eel, glass eel and silver eel is prohibited.	Angling, Icefishing, Bobbing, Bow and Arrow, Spearing	All areas	Open year-round*	9″	25
American Shad	Harvest of American shad allowed only in the Connecticut River system.	Angling	Connecticut River (including tributaries open year-round)	Open year-round	No minimum length	6
Atlantic Salmon	Taking of Atlantic Salmon is prohibited. Exception: Atlantic Salmon Broodstock Fisheries (see Broodstock Atlantic Salmon & River Herring)
Largemouth Bass & Smallmouth Bass	Daily creel limit is for both species in aggregate.	Angling, Icefishing	Lakes & Ponds	Open year-round*	12″	6
			Rivers & Streams	Open year-round*	No minimum length	6
			Connecticut River	Open year-round	12″	6
Catfish (Channel Catfish & White Catfish) & bullheads	Daily creel limit is for both catfish (Channel Catfish & White Catfish) species in aggregate. No creel limit for bullheads.	Angling, Icefishing, Bobbing	All areas	Open year round*	No minimum length	Catfish – 6 Bullheads – No limit
Common Carp	Spearing and bow and arrow use prohibited in streams or stream sections stocked with trout. Spearing prohibited in all lakes & ponds.	Angling, Icefishing, Bobbing, Bow and Arrow, Spearing	All areas	Open year round*	No minimum length, only 1 fish >30”	5
Bowfin, Tench, Suckers & Lampreys	Spearing and bow and arrow use prohibited in streams or stream sections stocked with trout. Spearing prohibited in all lakes & ponds.	Angling, Icefishing, Bobbing, Bow and Arrow, Spearing	All areas	Open year-round*	No minimum length	No limit
Chain Pickerel	—	Angling, Icefishing	Lakes & Ponds	Open year-round*	15″	6
Chain Pickerel	—	Angling, Icefishing	Rivers & Streams	Open year-round*	No minimum length	No limit
Hickory Shad	Daily creel limit is in aggregate with American shad.	Angling, Icefishing, Scoop Net	All areas	Open year-round*	No minimum length	6
Kokanee	Trout & salmon stamp may be needed.	Angling, Icefishing	All areas	2nd Saturday in April – last day in February	No minimum length	5***
Northern Pike	—	Angling, Icefishing	All areas	Open year-round*	26″	2
Panfish**	Except White Perch, see below.	Angling, Icefishing, Bobbing	All areas	Open year-round*	No minimum length	No limit
Smelt	Taking of smelt in rivers & streams is prohibited.	Angling & Icefishing	Lakes & Ponds	Open year-round*	No minimum length	50
Striped Bass	No person shall possess any striped bass less than 28 inches. No person shall possess any striped bass greater than or equal to 35 inches measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. Any striped bass less than 28” or greater than or equal to 35” shall, without avoidable injury, be returned immediately to the water from which taken. No spearing or gaffing	Angling	All areas	Open year-round*	28″-35″	1
Sturgeon, Burbot	Taking of sturgeon and burbot prohibited.
Trout (Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Tiger & other hybrids)	Trout & salmon stamp may be needed.	Angling, Icefishing	Lakes & Ponds, Rivers & Streams	2nd Saturday in April – last day in February	No minimum length	5***
Trout (Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Tiger & other hybrids)	Trout & salmon stamp may be needed.	Angling, Icefishing	Lower Rivers/ Tidal Waters	Open year-round*	15″	2***
White Perch	—	Angling, Icefishing, Bobbing	Connecticut River (including Coves & Tributaries) Tidally influenced Rivers & Streams	Open year-round*	7″	30
White Perch	—	Angling, Icefishing, Bobbing	Lakes & Ponds All other Rivers & Streams	Open year-round*	No minimum length	No limit
Walleye	—	Angling, Icefishing	All areas	Open year-round*	18″	2
* Except in areas closed to all fishing during a period of the year. Yellow Perch, White Perch, Calico Bass (Crappie), Rock Bass, and all species of sunfish. * Trout & salmon stamp required to keep fish.