Where the Walleye are.....

Statewide Regulations Minimum Length: 18 Inches Daily Creel Limit: 2 Walleye

Vincent Deledda 15.23 January 2015

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Connecticut has built a fantastic program for the great eating Walleye and includes a pond called Beach Pond in Exeter, RI which borders the two States. The Connecticut State record was landed the thru the Ice in January,2015. Always a few e-mails each week on the Walleye and in 2018 I will be fishing the ponds and lakes and then posting complete stories and helpful fishing and parking tips on each.

Where the walleye are...

Spring: Mouths of inflowing creeks, streams and rivers; at the base of waterfalls and dams; areas adjacent to rapids; shallow, bouldery shorelines exposed to wind; back bays and coves; necked-down channels with current.

Summer: Deep weed lines, especially in shallow lakes that lack structure; boulder-lined shoreline flats next to deep water; classic structure, such as long, underwater points, sunken humps, reefs, bars and saddles; the edges of deep pools and holes in rivers.

Fall: Deep structure in lakes and rivers; necked-down channel areas with current, especially after sunset; mouths of large rivers where they merge with big lakes; rock piles, saddles and bars in large rivers; below dams, waterfalls and major river obstructions.

Winter, where you left the fish in the fall; the base of structure, where the point or shoal merges with the lake basin; deep holes or pockets in otherwise flat, featureless, shallow lakes; the closest structure adjacent to the main-lake spawning areas, particularly in late winter; mouths of inflowing creeks, streams and rivers.

Batterson Park Pond, 456 Alexander Road, New Britain/Farmington, (140 acres). Season: Lake is open year round for fishing.  Access: boats with electric motors only & shore access.

Beach Pond, 205 North Shore Road, Voluntown, (372 acres). Season: Open 6:00 am 3rd Saturday April to last day February.  Access:  State owned boat launch. Shore access in Pachaug State Forest, and R.I.  License from CT or RI valid on entire pond.

Cedar Lake, Chester, (69 acres).  Season:  Open 6:00 am 3rd Saturday April-last day February.  Access:  Limited shore access and State-owned boat launch. (note 6 mph speed limit).

Coventry Lake, 180 Lake Street, Coventry, (373 acres).  Season: Open 6:00 am 3rd Saturday April-last day February.  Access: Limited shore access. State owned boat launch. (Note: Use of live alewives, herring or shad is prohibited.)

Gardner Lake, 147 Old Colchester Road, Salem/Montville-/Bozrah, (529 acres). Season: Open 6:00 am 3rd Saturday April-last day February. Access: Limited shore, State owned boat launch.

Lake Zoar, 290 Scout Road, Monroe-Oxford/Newtown –Southbury, (909 acres).  Season: Lake is open year round for fishing. Access: Shore fishing from Kettletown State Park on eastern shore, State owned boat launch.
Lake Saltonstall, Branford-East Haven, (422 acres). Season: Open 6:00 am 3rd Saturday April-November 30. Access: Shore fishing and boat livery by permit from Regional Water Authority 203-401-2654.  (Note: Use of live fish as bait is prohibited.) http://www.rwater.com/community/recreation/

Mashapaug Lake, 284 Bigelow Hollow Road, Union, (287 acres). Season: Open 6:00 am 3rd Saturday April-last day February. Access: Bigelow Hollow State Park, Shore fishing. State owned boat launch. 

Mount Tom Pond, 1500 Bantam Road, Morris/Litchfield-Washington, (56 acres). Season: Open 6:00 am 3rd Saturday April-last day February. Access: Mt Tom State Park shore access and car-top boat access. 

Lake Pocotopaug, East Hampton, (512 acres). Waterbody Specific Regulations:  Stocked by the town of East Hampton.  2 Walleye per day – 20” minimum length.  Access: Formal public access is lacking. 

 Saugatuck Reservoir, Easton-Weston-Redding, (827 acres).  Season: Open 6:00am 3rd Saturday April/December 31. Access: West shore fishing by permit from Aquarion Water Company (203) 452-3511. http://www.aquarion.com/CT.cfm/section/recr eation/page/Fishing/(Note: Use of live alewives, herring or shad is prohibited.)

Squantz Pond, 174 Shortwoods Road, New Fairfield, Sherman (270 acres).  Season: Open 6:00am 3rd Saturday April-March 31st.   Access: Squantz Pond State Park, Shore fishing, Boat launch: 7.5hp Maximum.

West Thompson Lake, Thompson, (239 acres). Season: Lake is open year round for fishing. Access: Federally owned boat launch. Shore access entire shoreline. 


Visit us online at: www.ct.gov/deep/fishing Fishing licenses can be purchased online at: www.ct.gov/deep/sportsmenlicensing
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