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Inland District Statewide Species Regulations

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DETERMINING REGULATIONS

A summary of the Statewide Species Open Seasons, Legal Methods and Length & Daily Creel Limits is listed in the table below. The regulations on many water bodies differ from the statewide regulations.

Use this two-step process to determine regulations on a specific waterbody:

1. Check the table below for the general statewide regulations.
2. Refer to the specific waterbody in the alphabetical listings of Lakes & Ponds or Rivers & Streams for special site-specific regulations. If no site-specific regulations are listed for a waterbody, statewide regulations apply for seasons, methods, and/or limits.

Unless otherwise indicated in the Lakes & Ponds and Rivers & Streams listings:

Lakes and ponds are open year-round.
Rivers & streams are open from 6:00 a.m. on the 3rd Saturday in April through the last day of February (Closed to all fishing from March 1st to 6:00 a.m. on the 3rd Saturday in April).

The open seasons listed in this table do not apply in areas closed to all fishing during a period of the year.

Lower River/Tidal Waters

Designated rivers & streams with no closed season. These include the entire Connecticut and Thames Rivers, and downstream portions of the Coginchaug, Farmington, Housatonic, Mattabesset, Mystic, Naugatuck, Niantic, Quinnipiac and Salmon Rivers. Check individual waterbody listing for boundaries.

For more information on Legal Methods & Gear, Length Limits, Creel & Possession Limits and Species, refer to the definitions.

Note: Regulations for several marine species found in the Inland District are subject to change.

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*	None	25
		Scoop Net	Lakes & Ponds	April 1 – June 15	None	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*	6″	50
American Shad	—	Angling	Lakes & Ponds, Rivers & Streams	3rd Saturday in April – June 30	None	6
American Shad	—	Angling	Lower Rivers/ Tidal Waters	April 1 – June 30	None	6
Atlantic Salmon	Taking of Atlantic Salmon is prohibited. Exception: Atlantic Salmon Broodstock Fisheries (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*	None	6
			Connecticut River	Open year-round	12″	6
Carp, 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*	None	None
Chain Pickerel	—	Angling, Icefishing	Lakes & Ponds	Open year-round*	15″	6
Chain Pickerel	—	Angling, Icefishing	Rivers & Streams	Open year-round*	None	None
Hickory Shad	Daily creel limit is in aggregate with American shad.	Angling, Icefishing, Scoop Net	All areas	Open year-round*	None	6
Kokanee	—	Angling, Icefishing	All areas	3rd Saturday in April – last day in February	None	8
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*	None	None
Smelt	Taking of smelt in rivers & streams is prohibited.	Angling & Icefishing	Lakes & Ponds	Open year-round*	None	50
Striped Bass	—	Angling	All areas	Open year-round*	28″	2
Sturgeon	Taking of sturgeon is prohibited.
Trout (Brook, Brown, Lake, Rainbow)	—	Angling, Icefishing	Lakes & Ponds, Rivers & Streams	3rd Saturday in April – last day in February	None	5
Trout (Brook, Brown, Lake, Rainbow)	—	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*	None	None
Walleye	—	Angling, Icefishing	All areas	Open year-round*	18″	2
* Except in areas closed to all fishing during a period of the year.

Regulations in red are new this year.

Purple text indicates an important note.