CT Families Get Outdoors on Opening Day

Opening day for trout fishing in Connecticut is a time when many families get together outdoors for the first time after many months of cold weather.

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has stocked 102 lakes and ponds and 200 streams and rivers throughout the state with more than 380,000 trout. The DEEP intends to have more than 600,000 trout stocked in Connecticut’s fishing areas by the end of May, according to Dennis Schain, a representative from the DEEP.   

“Opening Day is an exciting time for Connecticut’s many trout anglers, and they can look forward to exceptional fishing this season,” said Susan Whalen, Deputy Commissioner of the DEEP. “The fish are in excellent condition, nearly all of our trout waters are stocked and anglers can enjoy a wide range of fishing options.”
   
Waters in rural areas like Wharton Brook State Park in Wallingford and Great Hollow Pond in Monroe were stocked, but the DEEP has once again stocked waters in urban environments. As a part of the “No Child Left Inside” initiative, which began in 2006, the DEEP intends to improve fishing in the most populated parts of Connecticut, according to a news release from the DEEP.   

The DEEP stocked fishing areas at Bunnells Pond in Bridgeport, Lake Wintergreen in Hamden, Keney Park Pond in Hartford, and Mohegan Park Pond and Upper Fulton Park Pond in Waterbury. Each fishing area received more than 400 trout on opening day and will be re-stocked periodically through the end of May.  

Looking for a spot to fish nearby you? Maps of all of Connecticut’s trout streams and rivers can be found at www.ct.gov/deep/troutstockingmaps. The maps indicate stocking and access points throughout the state.   Anglers can buy their fishing licenses online, or at one of the many participating tackle retailers, DEEP offices, and town halls. 

For a list of vendors, visit the DEEP online or call DEEP Licensing and Revenue at 860-424-3105.