Inland District Statewide Species Regulations
Connecticut
Fishing
| Notes | Legal methods | Area | Open Season* | Minimum | Daily | |
| 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 | Open year-round* | No minimum length | 25 | |||
| Scoop Net | 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, | All areas | Open year-round* | 9″ | 25 |
| American Shad | Harvest of American shad allowed only in the Connecticut River system. | Angling | Connecticut River | 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, | All areas | Open year-round* | No minimum length | No limit |
| Chain Pickerel | — | Angling, Icefishing | Lakes & Ponds | Open year-round* | 15″ | 6 |
| Rivers & Streams | Open year-round* | No minimum length | No limit | |||
| Hickory Shad | Daily creel limit is in aggregate with American shad. | Angling, Icefishing, | 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 | — | Angling | All areas | Open year-round* | 28″ | 1 |
| Sturgeon, Burbot | Taking of sturgeon and burbot prohibited. | |||||
| Trout (Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Tiger & | Trout & salmon stamp may be needed. | Angling, Icefishing | Lakes & Ponds, Rivers & Streams | 2nd Saturday in April – last day in February | No minimum length | 5*** |
| Lower Rivers/ | Open year-round* | 15″ | 2*** | |||
| White Perch | — | Angling, Icefishing, Bobbing | Connecticut River (including Coves & Tributaries) Tidally influenced Rivers & Streams | Open year-round* | 7″ | 30 |
| Lakes & Ponds All other Rivers & Streams | Open year-round* | No minimum length | No limit | |||
| Walleye | — | Angling, Icefishing | All areas | Open year-round* | 18″ | 2 |