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 Atlantic Salmon & River Herring for more information. Exception: Landlocked alewife only may be taken from specific lakes. See 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 Fisheries (see 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 Change expected in June, 2021 (see Guide to Inland Regulations): Tiger Muskie are included as Northern Pike.	Both pike & Tiger Muskie in the aggregate.	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	See Notes on Marine Recreational Fishing Regulations	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.