Opening Day of trout fishing season in Connecticut is late April. Free fishing dates are May 7 (no license needed), June 19 and August 6 (free license days - you may apply online three weeks in advance of each date). State fishing licenses are required for anyone 16 years of age or older fishing in the Inland District. Licenses are issued for the calendar year and expire on December 31. Non-resident fishing licenses are $63 for a year and $22 for a three-day inland waters license. Licenses may be purchased at any Connecticut town hall, designated tackle shop, or online from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (860-424-3105).
Connecticut has more than 180 public lakes and ponds and thousands of miles of rivers and streams filled with game fish and pan fish including bass, trout, large walleye, pike or bluegills. The Farmington and Housatonic Rivers are two prized fishing waters.
Trout parks are Connecticut ponds or streams that will be stocked weekly with trout from the state’s fish hatcheries. Eleven water bodies in Connecticut have been designated as Trout Parks. Trout parks are located in easily accessible areas. Boat ramps are plentiful throughout the state.
200 Mount Carmel Avenue Hamden, CT, 06518 Phone: 203-287-5658
178 Short Woods Road New Fairfield, CT, 06810 Phone: 203-312-5023
Interstate 95 at Exit 18 Westport, CT, 06880 Phone: 203-226-6983
Entrance off Route 49 Voluntown, CT, 06384 Phone: 860-376-4075
384 Burr Mountain Road Torrington, CT, 06790 Phone: 860-482-1817
entrances off Hosley Avenue Branford, CT Phone: 203-401-2654
Cedar Lake Road Chester, CT, 06412 Phone: 860-424-3200
244 West Main Street (Route 156) East Lyme, CT, 06357 Phone: 860-739-5471
149 Farms Village Road - CT Route 309 Simsbury, CT, 06070 Phone: 860-242-1158
366 Hopyard Road East Haddam, CT, 06423 Phone: 860-873-8566
31 Old Willimantic Road Mansfield, CT, 06235 Phone:
4 Straits Turnpike Middlebury, CT, 06762 Phone: 203-729-8840
1 Indian Well Road Shelton, CT, 06484 Phone: 203-735-4311
Between Center Hill Road (CT Route 181) and East River Road Barkhamsted, CT, 06063 Phone: 860-379-2469
276 Mashamoquet Road Pomfret Center, CT, 06259 Phone: 860-928-6121
Route 85 Hebron, CT Phone: 860-295-9523
462 Kent Cornwall Road (Route 7) Kent, CT, 06757 Phone: 860-927-3238
Route 219 Barkhamsted, CT, 06063 Phone: 860-379-3036
1400 George's Hill Road (Off I-84 at Exit 15) Southbury, CT, 06488 Phone: 860-424-3200
2065 Thomaston Road Watertown, CT, 06795 Phone: 860-283-8088
1288 Boston Post Road Madison, CT, 06443 Phone: 203-245-2785
US Route 7 Sharon, CT, 06069 Phone: 860-927-3238
