DEEP: Who's Biting this Week?

The following information is from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and Energy:

Inland:

LARGEMOUTH BASS fishing has been generally good with reports from Candlewood Lake (good), Batterson Park Pond (fair to good, catches include a 4.5 lb bass), Bigelow Pond (some nice catches reported), Gardner Lake (good, best during the evening), Crystal Lake (fair‐ some action), Lake Hayward, Highland Lake (good, with several 4 lb plus fish among the catches), Quonnipaug Lake (some “large fish” among the catches), Hatch Pond (good), Mudge Pond (good early, fair later in the day), Wononsckopomuc Lake (good), Lake Lillinonah (fair), Lake Housatonic (fair, but several bass in the 3‐4 lb range) and Lake Zoar (slow). Tournament angler reports are from Aspinook Pond (fair during the day, 3.4 lb lunker, good at night, with a 5 lb bass among the catches), Lake Zoar (fair to tough), Mansfield Hollow Lake (good, with a 4.6 lb lunker), Highland Lake (very good, 3.7 lb lunker), Bantam Lake (good, 4.75 lb lunker), Moodus Reservoir (good fishing, mostly 1 lb or so fish and a 5.25 lb lunker), Candlewood Lake (good action, several 5 lb plus fish), East Twin Lake (good, fish averaged 2 lbs apiece with a 5.1 lb lunker) and Winchester Lake (fair for “keepers” with lots of 8‐12 inch bass “in excellent condition” getting caught, 6.75 lb lunker). Also some good fishing is being found in smaller ponds and shallow lakes, try wacky rigged senkos & frogs, or spinner baits (single or double blade, chartreuse & white).

SMALLMOUTH BASS action reported from Candlewoood Lake (continues to be good to very good), Squantz Pond (fair), Gardner Lake (hard to find) and Highland Lake (fair). Tournament angler reports are from Lake Zoar (fair to good, with some nice aggressive smallies averaging 2 lbs apiece, 3.4 and 3.2 lb lunkers), Candlewood Lake (good during the day with a number in the 3‐4 lb range and a 4.25 lb lunker, very good at night including a 4.75 lb lunker) and Bantam Lake (some action for anglers targeting smallmouth).

CHANNEL CATFISH – Limited reports for catfishing from last weekend. Anglers were finding some, albeit slow, action at Wauregan Reservoir and it was reportedly difficult to get a bite at Lake Wintergreen. Anglers should be finding lots of catfish at Lakewood Lake. Other recently stocked waters to try include Bunnells Pond (Bridgeport), Keney Park Pond (Hartford), Mohegan Park Pond (Spaulding Pond, Norwich), Freshwater Pond (Enfield) and Pickett’s Pond (in Osborndale State Park, Derby).Black Pond (Middlefield), Maltby Lakes 2 & 3 (Orange/West Haven), Pattaconk Lake (Chester), Silver Lake (Meriden), Hopeville Pond (Griswold), Stillwater Pond (Torrington) and Lake Kenosia (Danbury). Additionally, stocked (9‐12 inch fish) for the first time are four new areas; Batterson Park Pond (Farmington/New Britain) Burr Pond (Torrington), Scoville Reservoir (Wolcott) and Uncas Lake (Lyme).

CARP were reported Lake Zoar and the French River.

WALLEYE –Anglers are finding fish at Squantz Pond, although it was a bit quiet last weekend. Some good action was found trolling (20‐30 feet) at night for ‘eyes (including 2.3 and 6.5 lb fish). Some catches also reported from Saugatuck Reservoir and Lake Saltonstall.

NORTHERN PIKE – Pike anglers have been finding decent action at Quaddick Lake and Bantam Lake. Other places to try include Winchester Lake, Hopeville Pond and Pachaug Pond.

TROUT

Rivers & streams ‐ Conditions for fishing will vary throughout the state. Flows in most areas are at or above (still well above in several areas) typical early June levels (see box on page 4) and the forecast includes the potential for significant rainfall in portions of the northeast over the next 36 hours with clearing by Sunday. Anglers should keep smaller streams and tributaries in mind as they’ll drop quickest (streamflows for a number of areas can be found at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ct/nwis/rt).

Marine:

STRIPED BASS fishing is good to excellent at many of the reefs and rip areas throughout LIS in addition to the tidal rivers. Dawn has been prime time for “cow” bass. A striper weighing just shy of 60 lbs was caught over this past week. Striper spots include the Pawcatuck River, Watch Hill area, Ram Island Reef, Thames River, the Race, Bartlett Reef, Millstone warm water discharge, Black Point, humps south of Hatchett Reef, Connecticut River (on the flood tide), Long Sand Shoal, New Haven Harbor (Sandy Point), Charles Island/Milford area, Housatonic River, Bridgeport Harbor, Penfield Reef, around the Norwalk Islands, and the reefs off Stamford.

BLUEFISH fishing is good at the Watch Hill reefs, the Race, Sluiceway, Plum Gut, Gardiners Bay, lower Thames River, Millstone warm water discharge, lower Connecticut River, Long Sand Shoal, Sixmile Reef, New Haven Harbor, Penfield Reef, and around the Norwalk Islands.

SUMMER FLOUNDER fishing is rated good overall with reports of doormats approaching the double digit mark in pounds! Western LIS has been pretty hot lately from the Housatonic River down to the Greenwich area. Other fluke spots include south side of Fishers Island, Stonington area in Fishers Island Sound, mouth of the Thames River, Niantic Bay including Black Point, Long Sand Shoal, Falkner Island area, and Charles Island/Milford area.

SCUP fishing remains fair to good on the major reefs throughout LIS.

WEAKFISH have been reported in the New Haven Harbor area, Milford/Charles Island area and off the mouth of the Housatonic River.

Surface water temperatures in Long Island Sound (LIS) range are in the high 50’s to low 60’s°F. Check out the following web sites for more detailed water temperatures and marine boating conditions:

http://www.mysound.uconn.edu/stationstat.html

http://marine.rutgers.edu/mrs/sat_data/?nothumbs=1

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/AN/330.html