2026 regulation year
Connecticut Fishing Regulations 2026 — License Fees, Seasons, Bag Limits
Last updated
Connecticut runs a single-agency regulatory system through the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), with the Inland Fisheries Division setting freshwater rules and the Marine Fisheries Division setting saltwater rules under the ASMFC interstate plans. CT requires a Sport Fishing Licence for inland waters + a free Marine Waters Fishing Licence for tidal saltwater (registration is mandatory but the licence carries no fee since 2011). CT additionally issues a Trout & Salmon Stamp ($5 / year) required to retain trout from any Trout Park, Trout Management Area, or stocked trout / salmon water. Candlewood Lake (5,420 acres — largest lake wholly in CT — created in 1928 as the country's first major pumped-storage hydroelectric reservoir on the Housatonic River) is the state's flagship multi-species water with smallmouth + largemouth + walleye + striped bass + trout. Lake Lillinonah (1,540 acres) and Lake Zoar (975 acres) are the two downstream Housatonic impoundments. Bantam Lake (947 acres — largest natural lake in CT) supports premier smallmouth + largemouth + northern pike + walleye. East Twin + West Twin Lakes (Salisbury — premier western CT smallmouth + carry-over lake trout) round out the Litchfield Hills trophy tier. The Housatonic River main stem from Falls Village to Cornwall Bridge is one of New England's premier wild brown trout Trout Management Areas with year-round catch-and-release artificial-lures-only regulations. The Farmington River from Goodwin Dam at Riverton through New Hartford is CT's flagship tailwater — the Farmington River West Branch Trout Management Area is a destination wild brown trout fishery on cold-water releases from Colebrook Reservoir. The Salmon River (East Hampton — Comstock Covered Bridge Trout Management Area) holds the historic Atlantic salmon spawning habitat (the CT Atlantic salmon broodstock program ran through 2017, then phased out). Long Island Sound — Greenwich + Stamford + Norwalk + Bridgeport + New Haven + Branford + Niantic Bay + New London + Stonington — is the state's saltwater striped bass + summer flounder + tautog + scup + bluefish + black sea bass + bonito + false albacore fishery under the Marine Fisheries Division. The Connecticut River main stem from the Massachusetts line at Enfield to the Saybrook breakwater carries the western-CT smallmouth + walleye + American shad spring spawning run + tidal striped bass tier.
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License fees
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident annual inland Sport Fishing Licence | $28.00 | |
| Resident annual Trout & Salmon Stamp (add-on) | $5.00 | Required to retain trout from Trout Parks, Trout Management Areas, or stocked trout/salmon waters |
| Resident 1-day inland Sport Fishing Licence | $8.00 | |
| Resident All Waters (inland + marine combined) | $32.00 | |
| Resident Marine Waters Fishing Licence | Free | Free since 2011 — annual registration required for tidal waters under ASMFC plan |
| Resident senior (65+) | Free | Free annual inland licence — CT residents only |
| Resident under 16 | Free | Not required under age 16 |
| Resident disabled / blind / veteran 100% | Free | Free with eligibility documentation |
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident annual inland Sport Fishing Licence | $55.00 | |
| Non-resident annual Trout & Salmon Stamp (add-on) | $5.00 | Required to retain trout from Trout Parks, TMAs, or stocked trout/salmon waters |
| Non-resident 3-day inland Sport Fishing Licence | $22.00 | |
| Non-resident 1-day inland Sport Fishing Licence | $16.00 | |
| Non-resident All Waters (inland + marine combined) | $63.00 | |
| Non-resident Marine Waters Fishing Licence | Free | Free since 2011 — annual registration required; CT, NY, RI, MA permit holders reciprocal |
| Non-resident under 16 | Free | Not required under age 16 |
Buy directly from Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) — Inland Fisheries + Marine Fisheries Divisions. Fees may include processing surcharges at point of sale.
Top species — season, bag, size
| Species | Season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Striped bass (rockfish)Compare across states → | Long Island Sound typically year-round open recreational season; Connecticut River tidal section per ASMFC notice | 1 / day per angler (ASMFC harmonized recreational) | 28–31 in protected slot (ASMFC Addendum II harmonized recreational) |
| Largemouth bassCompare across states → | Year-round on most waters; designated Bass Management Lakes have closed harvest April 1 – June 15 (catch-and-release artificial-only) | 6 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth) statewide | 12 in min statewide; 16 in min trophy reaches; Bass Management Lakes C&R April 1 – June 15 |
| Trout (rainbow + brown + brook + tiger)Compare across states → | Open season for stocked reaches second Saturday in April through end of February; year-round on Trout Management Areas (C&R) | 5 / day combined trout statewide in-season (2 / day Apr 1 – mid-June pre-season); 2 / day on listed TMAs | 9 in min stocked trout statewide; 12 in min + 1 / day Trophy Trout Lakes; Trout & Salmon Stamp required |
| Smallmouth bassCompare across states → | Year-round on most waters; Bass Management Lakes closed April 1 – June 15 (catch-and-release artificial-only) | 6 / day combined black bass (largemouth + smallmouth) statewide | 12 in min statewide; 16 in min trophy reaches; Bass Management Lakes C&R April 1 – June 15 |
| Summer flounder (fluke)Compare across states → | Per annual CT DEEP Marine Fisheries notice (typical May 4 – Oct 9 Long Island Sound) | 4 / day per angler (recreational, ASMFC harmonized) | 18 in min Long Island Sound (typical) — confirm current-year DEEP notice |
| WalleyeCompare across states → | Open year-round (incl. ice fishing) | 2 / day per angler | 18 in min statewide (no per-water exceptions) |
| Northern pikeCompare across states → | Year-round statewide; Bantam + Little Pond closed to pike March 1 – April 30 | 2 / day (1 / day winter on Bantam + Little Pond; 1 pike-or-muskie Lillinonah) | 26 in min statewide; 36 in winter Bantam + Little Pond; 38 in Lillinonah; 24 in Connecticut River |
| Channel catfishCompare across states → | Open year-round | 6 / day in aggregate (channel + white catfish); 3 / day Community Fishing Waters | No minimum length |
Notable water-body special regulations
5,420-acre — largest lake wholly in CT; country's first major pumped-storage hydroelectric reservoir on the Housatonic River (created 1928); 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth, 6 / day combined; walleye 18 in min, 2 / day; striped bass + hybrid striped (stocked) 22 in min, 2 / day; lake trout (stocked carry-over) 18 in min, 2 / day; trout + salmon stamp required to retain stocked trout
1,540-acre Housatonic River impoundment downstream of Shepaug Dam; 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth, 6 / day combined; trophy smallmouth on rocky shorelines; walleye 18 in min, 2 / day; northern pike / muskellunge 1 / day (pike OR muskie, not both) 38 in min; channel catfish 6 / day aggregate + carp
975-acre Housatonic River impoundment downstream of Stevenson Dam; 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth, 6 / day combined; tidal-influenced lower section; trophy smallmouth
947-acre — largest natural lake in CT; 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth, 6 / day combined; northern pike 2 / day 26 in min (May 1 – Nov 30), 1 / day 36 in min (Dec 1 – last day Feb), CLOSED to pike Mar 1 – Apr 30 (spawn); walleye 18 in min, 2 / day; Bass Management Lake — closed harvest April 1 – June 15 catch-and-release artificial-only
569-acre Litchfield Hills lake; premier western CT smallmouth bass; 12 in min smallmouth + largemouth, 6 / day combined; carry-over lake trout (stocked) 18 in min, 2 / day; trout & salmon stamp required
240-acre Litchfield Hills lake adjacent to East Twin; 12 in min smallmouth + largemouth, 6 / day combined; carry-over lake trout (stocked) 18 in min, 2 / day; trout & salmon stamp required
444-acre Litchfield Hills lake; 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth, 6 / day combined; chain pickerel + perch + bluegill; stocked trout reaches require trout & salmon stamp
287-acre eastern CT lake at Bigelow Hollow State Park; 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth, 6 / day combined; lake trout (stocked carry-over) + chain pickerel; trout & salmon stamp required for stocked trout
467-acre NE CT reservoir; 12 in min largemouth + smallmouth, 6 / day combined; chain pickerel + bluegill; stocked trout
Major mainstem river from the MA boundary at Enfield to Long Island Sound; American shad spring spawning run April – June; smallmouth bass + walleye non-tidal upper reaches; striped bass tidal from Hartford / Rocky Hill downstream; 12 in min smallmouth + 6 / day combined; 18 in min walleye + 2 / day; northern pike 24 in min + 2 / day (lower than the 26 in statewide min); striped bass ASMFC 28–31 in slot + 1 / day with Marine Permit below tidal line
Premier New England wild brown trout TMA — year-round catch-and-release artificial-lures-only from Falls Village powerhouse to Boardman's Bridge; cold-water tailwater releases from Falls Village hydroelectric facility; smallmouth on warm-water lower reaches
Farmington River West Branch Trout Management Area
CT's flagship tailwater trout fishery — cold-water releases from Colebrook River Lake + Goodwin Dam at Riverton support wild brown trout; Year-round catch-and-release artificial-lures-only TMA from Goodwin Dam to the New Hartford Diversion (Bull's Bridge); standard regs on Lower Farmington
Comstock Covered Bridge Trout Management Area — year-round catch-and-release artificial-lures-only; historic Atlantic salmon spawning habitat; CT Atlantic salmon broodstock program ran through 2017 then phased out; standard stocked sections elsewhere with Trout Stamp
Recovering wild trout fishery + heavily stocked by DEEP — Beacon Falls + Seymour stocked sections + Thomaston Dam TMA; historic Atlantic salmon broodstock release water (program ended 2017); Trout & Salmon Stamp required
Wild + Scenic federally designated river — wild brown + brook trout; Trout Management Area on listed reaches catch-and-release artificial-only; standard stocked sections elsewhere
Mianus Pond Trout Management Area year-round catch-and-release artificial-only; wild brown trout + stocked rainbow + brook; Trout & Salmon Stamp required
Long Island Sound — western basin
CT DEEP Marine Fisheries jurisdiction; striped bass 28–31 in slot + 1 / day per ASMFC; summer flounder 18 in min + 4 / day; tautog 16 in min + 3 / day Oct 10 – Dec 31 + spring Apr 1 – Apr 30; scup 11 in min + 30 / day; black sea bass 16.5 in min + 5 / day; CT Marine Waters Fishing Licence (free) required
Long Island Sound — central basin
Marine Fisheries; striped bass + bluefish + summer flounder + scup + tautog + black sea bass; CT Marine Waters Fishing Licence (free) required
Long Island Sound — eastern basin
Premier eastern CT saltwater destination; striped bass + bluefish + bonito + false albacore (late summer) + summer flounder + tautog + scup + black sea bass; CT Marine Waters Fishing Licence (free) required
Connecticut River tidal section
Tidal striped bass + bluefish + summer flounder + American shad spring run; ASMFC 28–31 in striped bass slot + 1 / day; CT Marine Waters Fishing Licence (free) required
Thames River + Mystic River + Stonington Harbor (New London County)
Eastern CT tidal estuaries; striped bass + tautog + scup + bluefish + summer flounder; Mashantucket Pequot + Mohegan tribal waters protected on listed reservation reaches; CT Marine Waters Fishing Licence (free) required
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a fishing license to fish in Connecticut?
- Yes. Connecticut requires residents and non-residents alike to hold a valid fishing license, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. Buy directly from Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) — Inland Fisheries + Marine Fisheries Divisions; resident and non-resident fees are listed in the tables above.
- How much is a fishing license in Connecticut?
- Resident fees range from $5.00 (resident annual trout & salmon stamp (add-on)) to $32.00 (resident all waters (inland + marine combined)); Non-resident fees range from $5.00 (non-resident annual trout & salmon stamp (add-on)) to $63.00 (non-resident all waters (inland + marine combined)). The full breakdown — annual, multi-day, senior, and lifetime options — is in the license-fee tables above, and you can compare Connecticut against every other state on the license-fee comparator.
- What fish can you catch in Connecticut?
- Connecticut anglers most commonly target Striped bass (rockfish), Largemouth bass, Trout (rainbow + brown + brook + tiger), Smallmouth bass, Summer flounder (fluke), Walleye, and others. Each species sets its own season, daily bag, and size or slot limit — compare them in the species table above, or open a species page for the full 2026 rule.
- When does fishing season open in Connecticut?
- It depends on the species — Connecticut sets a separate season for each. Warmwater fish like bass, catfish, and panfish are open year-round in most of the state, while trout, walleye, salmon, and other cold-water or migratory species have dated seasons. The season column in the table above shows each one, and Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) — Inland Fisheries + Marine Fisheries Divisions can shift dates by emergency order.
- Are there special fishing rules on specific Connecticut waters?
- Yes. 21 named Connecticut waters carry regulations that differ from the statewide rule, including Candlewood Lake, Lake Lillinonah, Lake Zoar, and 18 more. See the notable water-body special regulations above for the exact rule on each.
Official source
Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) — Inland Fisheries + Marine Fisheries Divisions is the authoritative source for Connecticut fishing regulations. Always verify rules before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override published booklets.
Visit official Connecticut fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection's emergency-order feed — check it before any Connecticut trip during the active season.