BEST PLACES TO FISH

BY BOB GREGORSKI

Look out fish! Here they come! Spring is the best trout fishing season because that’s when the most trout are stocked and the fishing conditions are good. And most lakes and rivers are open for most species including: black bass, shad, Atlantic salmon, kokanee, pike, pickerel, American shad, hickory shad, walleye and panfish. Every angler has his or her best fishing spot and the following is a guide to some of Western Connecticut’s prime, inland piscatorial waters.

Connecticut lakes and rivers provide a variety of fishing, and most of the best fishing is in the western part of the state. Here are waters that I consider the best fisheries and the reasons why. The three best all-around trout, bass and panfish lakes are Candlewood, East Twin and Highland. The best pike water is Bantam Lake; West Hill Pond is the favored loch for kokanee, and Squantz Pond is the best walleye water. The best early season trout rivers are the Farmington, Housatonic, Naugatuck and Pomperaug. And the Connecticut River is the best multiple fishery-river (American shad, hickory shad, striped bass, largemouth and smallmouth bass, pike, white perch, yellow perch, channel catfish, white catfish, bullheads, eels and a variety of panfish).

Candlewood Lake
Candlewood Lake is an excellent bass and trout fishery. It has healthy populations of smallies and bucketmouths. Reports of smallmouths in the 3 to 5 pound range and largemouths 5 to 8 pounds have been the scuttlebutt in the last few seasons. Those bulky bass that were released last year should be gargantuan size this season. Candlewood trouters catch many browns and some rainbows in the 3 to 5 pound range and a few bruiser browns that weigh in between 6 to 10 pounds. Experienced anglers claim that Candlewood has the most big brown trout of any water in the state. And the Squantz Pond arm of the lake has its share of large trout and some walloping walleyes. It should be a great year for catching perch-pike!

East Twin Lake
East Twin Lake has fast become one of the best trophy trout lakes in the state. The large population of alewives, slot limits and a healthy trout stocking program are the reasons why. The 16 pound 14 ounce state record brown came out of East Twin in 1986 before the D.E.P. Fisheries focus changed from kokanee to brown trout. East Twin may equal or have exceeded Candlewood in the number of big browns per acre. Lots of bruiser browns are expected to leave East Twin this spring. In addition, the lake has a good supply largemouth bass, calico bass and smallmouth bass. The D.E.P. trophy records of East Twin Lake list several calico bass in the two pound range, many chain pickerel ranging from five to six and one-half pounds and a few lunker largemouth bass. For those who like bluegills, East Twin has a healthy population that are fry-pan size sunnies.

Highland Lake
Highland Lake has a triple-treat fishery. The lake has many three to five pound bronzebacks and 5-6 pound largemouths. Trophy Awards records indicate a long list of smallies that were reported caught in the four to six pound range. Highland Lake is classified as a lake that supports fishable numbers of holdover browns. One excellent reason to go trouting in the lake is the number of husky browns that have been recorded over the years. There are three reasons why large browns inhabit the lake—the state stocks the lake well, it has a healthy alewife population and

Bantam Lake
Bantam Lake provides an ultimate, exhilarating fishing experience when anglers hook into a mini locomotive—a northern pike. Northerns in the 32” to 40” range are caught regularly. A few small gators the stretch the tape from 41 to 46 inches are hooked each year. Some pikers believe that the new state record pike, one over 29 pounds, is in the lake. Note that all pike have to be returned until May 1 when the season opens.

West Hill Pond
Since the demise of “little salmon” (kokanee) program East Twin and Wononscopomuc, West Hill Pond is the only choice for catching kokanee. Salmon fishing at West Hill was fair-to good last year! The netting of spawning adults last fall did result in the capture enough fish to keep the program going. Fishing for kokanee does not look promising this year.

RIVERS—The Farmington is best trout river, and the Housatonic is best trout/smallmouth bass river. Both rivers have a respectable population of large trout.

Farmington River
The Farmington River is one of the most heavily stocked rivers in the state, and its water conditions provides a year round trout fishery. The pools and glides between Hogsback Dam in Riverton and Satan’s Kingdom in New Hartford are the most popular angler locations. The river is heavily fished.

Housatonic River
The Housatonic warms up quickly, so it’s a better trout fishery in the cooler and higher water months. The best run of the river for trout is the T.M.A. in Salisbury-Canaan-Sharon-Cornwall.

Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is a fine fishery for black bass, catfish, carp, eels, pike and the seasonal Atlantic and hickory shad and striped bass. Many large smallies and northerns are landed in the river each year. The bonus the last few springs have been stripers; big mammas and small schoolies are scattered from Enfield to Old Saybrook.

Naugatuck and Pomperaug Rivers
Both rivers receive a healthy, spring stocking and are fished heavily. Both rivers are shallow and heat up quickly; they receive their last spring stocking before Memorial Day. There may be a few hold-over, old breeder-Atlantic salmon in of the deeper sections of the Naugy that will thrill anyone who hooks one. The decent number of trout including some big breeders are released to give anglers lots of action during the brief spring season. Both rivers have good access and
are easy to fish. Each angler has his or her favorite waters to fish and will be out on the water throughout the spring and early summer. Good luck!

Choice of colors Forest green or Safari tan.

Can be purchased at monthly meeting

Our Connecticut Trout Unlimited council has launched a website aimed at helping bring our chapters together statewide. The web site has a large amount of information and links to each chapter in the state. Take a look, it is well worth it.

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