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September 2025
Please reach out to mike.beauchene@ct.gov with any suggestions, comments, or questions related to CT's Fisheries.
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Fall Trout Stocking is Underway!
We’re back! It’s time for fall trout and salmon stocking and we are kicking it off with the annual Labor Day Weekend stocking of the lower Farmington River (August 29th). The Burlington State Fish Hatchery stocked 2,000 Brown trout (2lbs each) from Satan’s Kingdom in New Hartford down to the garden plots below Dunning’s Pond in Farmington.
More waters to come soon. Please be safe and have a great holiday weekend!
Follow along with our daily stocking report, our Facebook Posts (Wednesday and Friday), and the Interactive Trout Stocking Map.
Catch and Release for Trout Starts September 1 at Some Trout Management Areas
There are 8 sections of rivers where harvest fishing switches to catch and release fishing (no harvest) on September 1. These are referred to as "Seasonal Trout Management Areas (TMAs)". Harvest is allowed in these seasonal TMAs from the second Saturday of April until August 31 as these waters have limited, if any, capacity to support trout during summer months (water temperatures become lethal). The Fisheries Division "re-stocks" these waters in the fall when water temperatures are suitable for survival. For specific boundaries for each of these sections please refer to the 2025 fishing guide.
Seasonal TMAs are found on the-
- Farmington River and West Branch Farmington River, Intermittent sections from Hartland downstream to Unionville
- Hammonasset River, Killingworth, Madison
- Mianus River, Greenwich, Stamford
- Mill River, Hamden within Sleeping Giant State Park
- Salmon River, Colchester
- Saugatuck Fly Only area, Westport, from Dorr's Mill Dam to Merritt Parkway
- Yantic River, Bozrah
Tips for "Catch and Release" Fishing
Annual Survivor Broodstock Collection - Farmington River
The Fisheries Division will be conducting the annual collection of Farmington River Survivor Brown Trout broodstock on September 9, 10, and 11, with rain dates of the following week. During this time the flows in the river from Hartland to Canton will be significantly reduced so that staff can safely and effectively conduct this valuable work. Check out the video below to learn more about this unique program.
Questions may be directed to deep.inland.fisheries@ct.gov
DEEP Reminds Boaters to Purchase AIS Stamp Ahead of Targeted Enforcement this Labor Day Weekend
All Boaters Operating a Registered Vessel on Connecticut’s Inland Waters Are Required to Purchase an AIS Stamp
The Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds boaters to purchase an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Stamp ahead of enhanced enforcement efforts over Labor Day Weekend. Anyone who operates a motorboat or personal watercraft on Connecticut’s inland waters, including the designated inland waters of the Connecticut, Housatonic and Thames Rivers, is required to purchase an AIS Stamp. The AIS Stamp can be purchased through DEEP’s online Sportsmen Licensing System or wherever fishing licenses are sold. DEEP urges inland boaters who have not yet purchased their 2025 AIS Stamp, to do so before heading on the water this weekend. An AIS Stamp annual purchase is required for both Connecticut residents and out-of-state visitors operating a registered vessel on Connecticut’s inland waters.
The spread of aquatic invasive species can wreak havoc on the economy and the environment. AIS are non-native plants or animals which, when introduced into aquatic environments and left unchecked, can cause significant harm to native wildlife species, water quality, and recreational opportunities for boaters and anglers. Connecticut is no stranger to these nuisance species, with several aggressive plants, fish, and shellfish currently dispersed throughout our waterbodies.
The State Legislature established the AIS Stamp Program in 2019, and it is the primary source of funding for the Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers Preservation Account which provides grant funding to non-profit groups and municipalities for research, treatment, and education campaigns that combat AIS. Previously the AIS Stamp fee was included with boat registrations. Beginning in October 2024, boaters were required to purchase the AIS Stamp annually through the Sportsman Licensing System.
“Funding from the purchase of the Aquatic Invasive Species Stamp directly supports protecting inland waterways from aquatic invasive species – including grants to local nonprofits and municipalities who are working hard to address the threat of aquatic invasive species at a local level,” said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes.
“For anyone heading out on the water, preparation starts before you launch,” said Col. Chris Lewis of DEEP’s EnCon Police. “That means making sure your vessel has the required AIS decal, or that the operator has a valid AIS stamp. It’s a simple step that not only helps you avoid fines and stay in compliance with the law, but also plays an important role in protecting our waters from aquatic invasive species.”
To comply with the AIS Stamp law, boaters have two options:
Individual AIS Stamp ($7.00). The Individual AIS Stamp is assigned to the individual purchasing the stamp, and it allows that individual to operate in compliance. The proof of purchase is displayed on that individual’s Sportsmen Conservation License as a privilege like a hunting or fishing license.
Vessel AIS Decal ($25.00). The Vessel AIS Decal is assigned to a particular vessel, and it allows anyone operating that vessel to operate in compliance. The proof of purchase is a decal that must be affixed to the vessel. The Vessel AIS Decal also provides an Individual AIS Stamp for the purchaser which will be displayed on that individual’s Sportsmen Conservation License as a privilege like a hunting or fishing license.
Anyone operating a vessel without an AIS stamp or decal will be fined $103.00. Environmental Conservation Police along with other marine patrol officers across the state will be conducting targeted enforcement of the AIS stamp this Labor Day weekend.
Join The Fish With CARE Team!
Come and join our Fish with CARE team! We are looking for you, a dedicated, passionate, and patient angler who wants to pay it forward and continue the great tradition of fishing. A huge thank you to the coaches who were at our annual saltwater fishing day on August 9th at Fort Trumbull State Park (group photo below). Their help made each and every participant experience the many benefits fishing offers. For more info CARE please visit our webpage or watch the short video below.
State Record Bowfin
Congratulations to Brandon Powers for tying the current state record for Bowfin (catch and release). Brandon's bowfin was 28.5 inches equaling the current top Bowfin caught by Benjamin Florian in 2023. To learn more about state record fish and our angler recognition programs please visit our webpage.
Nice Catch!
Fishing Challenge DIY Videos
To help budding anglers fill their youth fishing passport fishing challenge score card the Fish With CARE program has made a special playlist on the DEEP Video YouTube channel.
The fishing challenge is free for all age 15 and younger. The challenge is a year-long fishing scavenger hunt to try and catch all 33 species on the score card. Catches are submitted online and results displayed on the dashboard. For more info please reach out to mike.beauchene@ct.gov
This Month's Mystery Fish
Think you know this species 👀? Send your guess to mike.beauchene@ct.gov
Mystery Fish Revealed
Last month's mystery fish was the Northern Longhorn Sculpin (Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus). Very similar in appearance to a sea robin, the sculpin lacks the massive modified pectoral fins and the finger-like appendages between the pectoral fins. This specimen was caught at one of the 2024 Fish with CARE events at Fort Trumbull State Park.
Longhorn sculpins are a common bottom-dwelling fish along the Atlantic shoreline, especially in more northern waters like the Gulf of Maine. Sculpins can change their color and patterning to match the surrounding bottom material. In rocky bottoms with seaweed, the fish are dark brown and reddish with blotchy markings. Those in sandy or muddy bottom area are light tan.
Need to find a place to fish? Check out our "Where to Fish For..." interactive map with video tutorial below.
DIY Videos- our complete library can be found on the DEEP YouTube Channel
How to get your fishing license online
How to get the youth fishing passport online
Have a Tip or Photo You Would Like to See in CT Fishin' Tips?
Have a Tip or Photo You Would Like to See in CT Fishin' Tips? Email your tip to DEEP.Inland.Fisheries@ct.gov
E-Tackle Box
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are seeking a communication aid or service, have limited proficiency in English, wish to file an ADA or Title VI discrimination complaint, or require some other accommodation, including equipment to facilitate virtual participation, please contact the DEEP Office of Diversity and Equity at 860-418-5910 or by email at deep.accommodations@ct.gov. Any person needing an accommodation for hearing impairment may call the State of Connecticut relay number - 711. In order to facilitate efforts to provide an accommodation, please request all accommodations as soon as possible following notice of any agency hearing, meeting, program or event.
This program receives Federal financial assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability.
If you believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility, or if you need more information, please write to:
Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Civil Rights
U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20240
Report a Fishing or Hunting Violation
Call DEEP's Environmental Conservation Police 24/7
860-424-3333
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