Whether you’re a novice or an experienced fly fisherman, Connecticut has something to offer. From the scenic coastlines of Long Island Sound and the Housatonic River to the smaller streams and ponds scattered across the state, there are plenty of opportunities for excellent fishing experiences.
The best places to fly fish in Connecticut include
- Compo Beach
- Farmington River
- Fort Trumbull State Park
- Housatonic River
- Kent Falls Brook Trout Park
- Mianus River
- Moosup River and more
With more than 5,800 miles of rivers and streams in the state, Connecticut boasts diverse habitats for anglers to explore. The state's coastline and rivers provide excellent opportunities to catch some of the most sought-after species, such as striped bass, tautog, bluefish, and trout. Keep reading for more in-depth on each location and what they offer in terms of fly fishing conditions.
Best Fly Fishing locations in Connecticut
Connecticut's coastline is home to some of the best fly fishing spots in the country. Here are our top 15 picks:
1. Compo Beach
Compo Beach is a sprawling 29-acre park situated along the Long Island Sound and adjacent to the Saugatuck River, offering an accessible boardwalk, pavilion, and an array of recreational attractions. When it comes to fly fishing, some of the top species you can catch are striped bass, bluefish, scup, tub gurnard, and summer flounder.
Recommended Fly Patterns for Compo Beach, Connecticut:
- Clouser Minnow - Size 2
- Gurglers - Size #1 - 2/0
- Surf Candy - Size 6
2. Farmington River
Spanning over 80 miles in length, the Farmington River is one of Connecticut's longest tributaries. Starting near Massachusetts' border and meandering its way through to northwest CT, this river brings life to all it touches with mainstems of 46.7 miles (75.2 km)and even further reaches at 80.4 miles (129.4km).
Outdoing even its neighbor north -the Westfield River- by 2.3 miles (3/7 km), this river has been a blessing to sparse regions for centuries.
The Farmington River in Connecticut is a renowned fly fishing haven for trout, with both stocked and wild populations of Brown, Rainbow, and Brook Trout. Not only does the river feed into the larger Connecticut River ecosystem, but it also provides an abundance of thrilling opportunities to catch some prized species.
Recommended Fly Patterns Farmington River, Connecticut:
3. Fort Trumbull State Park
Constructed between 1839 and 1852, Fort Trumbull is one of 42 fortifications strategically erected to protect the United States coastline. After several years of redevelopment efforts, it was finally opened as a state park in 2000 and has become an esteemed location for special events such as concerts.
With its public access elevator providing entrance to its highest portions, visitors can explore all areas of this incredible historic site - including an informative museum inside former officers' quarters.
Avid anglers will relish the remarkable fishing experience that awaits them at this one-of-a-kind pier, granting over 500 feet of shore access to some of Long Island Sound's most popular game fish - striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, and tautog.
Recommended Fly Patterns Fort Trumbull State Park, Connecticut:
- Clouser Minnow - Size 2
- Gurglers - Size #1 - 2/0
- Surf Candy - Size 6
4. Housatonic River
Spanning a massive 149 miles, the Housatonic River winds through western Massachusetts and Connecticut, draining nearly 1,950 square miles of land into Long Island Sound. Its expansive watershed lies just west of the lower portion of the Connecticut River's basin.
A fish survey in the upper area of the Housatonic Catch-and-Release Area discovered an abundance of aquatic life, including:
- Rock Bass
- Smallmouth Bass
- White Sucker
- Brown Trout
- Yellow Perch
- Largemouth Bass and
- Bluegill
Recommended Fly Patterns Housatonic River, Connecticut:
5. Kent Falls Brook Trout Park
Nestled in the Litchfield Hills of southern Berkshires lies Kent Falls Brook Trout Park, an area revered for its natural beauty. Home to breathtaking waterfalls cascading down 250 feet within a quarter-mile stretch, visitors can marvel at the largest fall that plunges more than 70 feet into a tranquil reflecting pool before trickling over lesser falls. As one of Connecticut's 13 trout parks, the area is open to catch-and-release fly fishing.
Within Connecticut's Fish Hatcheries, four distinct trout species are cultivated and then released into the state's various bodies of water: Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, and Tiger (a hybrid between a Brook and a Brown). As these fish reach their adult size in the hatcheries, they are stocked all across the trout parks of Connecticut.
Recommended Fly Patterns Kent Falls Brook Trout Park, Connecticut:
6. Mianus River
The Mianus River stretches across 32.7 kilometers (20.3 miles) of Westchester County, New York, and Fairfield County, Connecticut, in the United States.
Its source is a series of ponds located at 600 feet (180 m) altitude in North Castle town to the east of Armonk Town before it flows northeast into Bedford Town and then southward through the Mianus River Gorge nature preserve as it enters Stamford City, where its waters are dammed up by Samuel J Bargh Reservoir measuring 256 feet (78m).
Every spring, an impressive number of alewife and blueback herring swim through the Mianus Pond Fishway. The river herring spawning in the Mianus River serves as a marker for those on the North American Atlantic Coast to track their populations.
Recommended Fly Patterns Mianus River, Connecticut:
- Elk Wing Caddis - Size 16
- Flashback Pheasant Tail in Gold - Size 18
- Slump Buster with Cone in Olive - Size 6
7. Moosup River
Meandering 23.7 miles (38.1 km) through the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut, the Moosup River is named after a Native American sachem Maussup. Originating from Clark Pond, located in Foster, Rhode Island - it then travels southward towards Coventry before curving west to Sterling and Plainfield, where its journey ends at the Quinebaug River. The Moosup river is home to an abundance of fish, including:
- Rainbow trout
- Brown trout
- Smallmouth bass
- Brook trout
- Tiger trout
- Largemouth bass
- Fallfish
Recommended Fly Patterns Moosup River, Connecticut:
- Matuka Sculpin Olive - Size 4
- Spotlight Caddis Emerger in Tan - Size 14
- Copper John in Various Colors - Size 12 -22
8. Naugatuck River
Measuring 40.2 miles (64.7 km) long, the Naugatuck River is an iconic feature of Connecticut's landscape. It carves out its own valley in the western part of the state and flows south until eventually reaching into Long Island Sound through Derby after journeying 11 miles (18 km).
The Atwood Dam, constructed in 1960 following a catastrophic flood five years earlier, forms a reservoir along this river and acts as one last obstruction for migrating salmon and trout swimming upstream from their marine habitat to access freshwater sources.
If you're looking for an optimal fishing destination in northwestern Connecticut, the Naugatuck River is perfect! Though not as popular as other nearby rivers like Farmington or Housatonic, this river is still stocked with broodstock Atlantic Salmon by the state's Department of Environmental Protection from Route 118 in Harwinton/Litchfield to Thomaston Dam and from southern Naugatuck all the way down to Beacon Falls.
The Naugatuck River has a designated trout management region from Route 118 to the Thomaston Dam and beyond, earning its reputation as a "trophy trout stream."
Recommended Fly Patterns Naugatuck River, Connecticut:
9. Norwalk River
The Norwalk River is a 34km long waterway situated in southwestern Connecticut, United States. Its namesake derives from the Algonquian word "noyank," which translates to 'point of land
Originating from ponds located in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and augmented by "Great Pond," one of the cleanest lakes in Connecticut due to its being nourished with underwater springs, this river continues through Ridgefield's Great Swamp that spans an area of 2 km2 or 500 acres!
The Norwalk River is a renowned recreational fishing spot that the state has invested in - stocking it with 8,000 adult-sized trout annually for over 13 miles of river.
Recommended Fly Patterns Norwalk River, Connecticut:
- Flashback Pheasant Tail in Gold - Size 18
- Baetis Barr Emergers - Size 20
- Caddis Larva in Green - Size 16
10. Penfield Reef, Fairfield, CT
Penfield Reef, which extends a full mile off the coast of Fairfield, Connecticut, into Long Island Sound, is an awe-inspiring—yet incredibly dangerous—natural phenomenon. Once part of a peninsula centuries ago, years of erosion have gradually diminished it down to scattered islands and ultimately to its present shoal state.
While the presence of Penfield Reef Lighthouse offers some degree of navigational support for boaters in this area, many still find themselves at risk here due to its treacherous waters. Anglers can flock to the reef, as it is an excellent location for catching prized bluefish and flounder, and striped bass.
Recommended Fly Patterns Penfield Reef, Connecticut:
- Clouser Minnow - Size #1 - 2/0
- Surf Candy - Size 6
- Gurglers - Size #1 - 2/0
11. Pomperaug River
The Pomperaug River is a 13.4-mile (21.6 km) waterway that snakes through the US state of Connecticut, originating from the merging of two tributaries: Nonnewaug and Weekeepeemee Rivers.
The locals in Woodbury and Southbury can witness this river's journey before it empties into Lake Zoar at the Housatonic River's edge. The Pomperaug River's headwaters are found at the Nonnewaug River, located in Middlebury and Woodbury.
This river is also stocked with different species of fish, including:
- Rainbow trout
- Smallmouth bass
- Brown trout
- Yellow perch
- Northern pike
- Rock bass
- Brook trout
Recommended Fly Patterns Pomperaug River, Connecticut:
12. Quinnipiac River
The Quinnipiac River spans a total of 45.5 miles (73.2 km) through the entire state of Connecticut in New England, beginning at Dead Wood Swamp near the city of New Britain and flowing south to Plainville, Southington, Cheshire, and Wallingford before veering west towards Yalesville and North Haven on its way to end in New Haven Harbor east of downtown.
Anglers can find largemouth bass in the river between Red Bridge and Hanover Pond, as well as within the pond itself. Furthermore, downstream from Hanover Dam is where you'll be able to catch carp with ease. In North Haven, there's a chance that an occasional striper might be caught - not to mention plentiful white perch!
Recommended Fly Patterns Quinnipiac River, Connecticut:
13. Salmon River
The Salmon River, dubbed "The River of No Return" due to its wild and unpredictable nature, is situated in the majestic western United States state of Idaho. Spanning 425 miles (685 km) long through an isolated area and with a watershed that covers 14,000 square miles (36,000 km2), this river drops more than 7,000 feet (2,100 m).
Its headwaters lie at Galena Summit atop the famous Sawtooth Valley near the picturesque Sawtooth National Recreation Area before winding down towards its convergence with the Snake River.
The Salmon River basin is home to the majority of salmon and steelhead habitats left in the Columbia River Basin, with up to 70 percent still standing. Unfortunately, despite its abundance of excellent fish-friendly environment, chinook, steelhead, and sockeye salmon populations have not seen any significant improvement since they received endangerment status under federal law back in the mid-1990s.
Recommended Fly Patterns Salmon River, Connecticut:
14. Saugatuck River
The Saugatuck River is a beautiful 23.7-mile-long (38.1 km)[1] river that winds through southwestern Connecticut in the United States and empties into Long Island Sound near Norwalk after passing by the stunning 283 feet (86 m) above sea level Saugatuck Reservoir, which creates an idyllic navigable estuary along its lower 5 miles (8 km).
Home to a thriving population of brown, rainbow, and brook trout native to the area, the Saugatuck River proves an excellent destination for anglers come fall. With ideal conditions for netting some beautiful brown trout - this spot is sure to reel in fishing fanatics!
Recommended Fly Patterns Saugatuck River, Connecticut:
- Zebra Midge Curved Silver - Size 18
- Prince Nymph Jigged - Size 12
- Pheasant Tail Jigged in Natural - Size 12
15. Shetucket River
The Shetucket River is an awe-inspiring 32.8 km (20.4 miles) long tributary of the Thames River that winds through eastern Connecticut in the United States. Its journey begins at Willimantic, where it unites with both the Natchaug and Willimantic Rivers, before continuing southwards until 4 miles northeast of Norwich, when it meets its companion river -the Quinebaug- to eventually form a wide estuary that stretches for five miles.
The Shetucket River is a fisherman's paradise, with brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, and Atlantic Salmon all present in its waters. Depending on where along the river you are angling from, the water can vary greatly - while near Willimantic, it resembles an urban setting much like other rivers do around cities; further downriver, however, this changes drastically to look more akin to that of a traditional trout stream.
Recommended Fly Patterns Shetucket River, Connecticut:
What Gear do I need to Fly Fish in Connecticut?
There are many different types of gear that you will need when fly fishing in Connecticut, depending on the type of fish and your preferred style. Generally speaking, a basic setup for all-around fly-fishing consists of a 4 or 5-weight rod, reel, and line combo (weight of the rod is determined by the size of fish being targeted), a pair of waders, chest/waist/hip boots and a nice assortment of flies.
If you plan on targeting smallmouth bass or panfish during the summer months, consider adding an extra rod with a heavier line weight (7-8 weight) as well. Additionally, depending on your chosen body of water, you may also need to invest in a few pieces of specialized gear, such as a float tube or boat for larger rivers or an indicator and/or sinking line for fishing deeper pools.
Additional Facts about Fly Fishing in Connecticut
Fly fishing in Connecticut offers an abundance of stunning locations to choose from, and with both a wide array of fish species present and often-ideal weather conditions throughout the year - it’s no wonder why this state is such a popular destination for anglers.
In addition to being home to some of the most vibrant fisheries in the northeast, Connecticut is also home to a range of trout-filled streams and rivers. In fact, many of the state's waters contain both wild salmon and stocked rainbows, which make for excellent targets for fly fishermen.
Where Is the Best Trout Fishing In Connecticut?
The best trout fishing in Connecticut can be found mainly in the western part of the state, especially around areas such as the Farmington and Housatonic Rivers. These two rivers are renowned for their healthy populations of brown, rainbow, and brook trout - making them prime destinations for fly fishermen.
However, anglers should also not discount the excellent trout fishing opportunities in the state's eastern region, especially around rivers such as the Natchaug and Shetucket. While these rivers have slightly smaller populations of fish than their western counterparts, they are still great destinations for those looking to land some decorated catches.
Where Is the Best Fly Fishing In the Northeast?
When it comes to the best fly fishing in the Northeast, Connecticut shores are certainly hard to beat. With both a wide range of fish species and plenty of opportunity for anglers of all levels, this state is sure to reel in even the most avid fly fishermen. Whether you’re after wild salmon or beautiful brown trout - this spot has something for everyone.
Some additional northeast hot spots to explore include the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, Lake Champlain in Vermont, and the Ausable River in New York - so don't forget to check these out, too, if you want to experience some of the finest fly fishing available.
Fly fishing in Connecticut offers some of the best angling opportunities in the Northeast, with a wide range of fish species and stunning locations. From wild salmon to stocked rainbows, Connecticut has it all - and with both the western and eastern parts of the state offering prime spots, fly fishermen have plenty of options to explore.
