DEP BEGINS FALL BROODSTOCK ATLANTIC SALMON STOCKING

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced the beginning of its annual stockings of surplus broodstock Atlantic salmon. This week DEP’s Inland Fisheries Division released 100 salmon into the Shetucket River, 45 salmon into Crystal Lake (Ellington) and 45 salmon into Mount Tom Pond (Morris-Litchfield-Washington) and next week, DEP will be releasing 100 salmon into the Naugatuck River.

The broodstock Atlantic salmon stocked in Connecticut are raised in state and federal hatcheries to provide eggs for the Connecticut River Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program and are the progeny of sea-run fish that returned to the Connecticut River. Beginning in 1992, surplus and spawned fish have been made available to provide a recreational fishery for Connecticut anglers.

Atlantic salmon are renowned for their size, beauty and fighting ability. “The broodstock Atlantic salmon program has become quite popular with anglers,” said Peter Aarrestad, Director of DEP’s Inland Fisheries Division. “Catching an Atlantic salmon is a thrilling experience. Not only do they put up a great fight, often jumping completely out of the water, but they also provide anglers a glimpse into the state’s past when Atlantic salmon were abundant.”

The 290 fish that are being released this October range in weight from 4 to 20 pounds each, averaging 9.5 pounds a fish. Following spawning later this fall, the DEP expects an additional 700 salmon from the Kensington Hatchery will be available for stocking in November.

For the fourth consecutive year, DEP is stocking selected lakes with broodstock Atlantic salmon. Up until 2007, all fish had been stocked only into the Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers. However, experimental stocking has recently shown that salmon fishing is also popular in lakes. The number of lakes stocked will vary from year to year depending on the number of surplus salmon available. This fall, Mount Tom Pond and Crystal Lake are being stocked. Anglers may also occasionally catch salmon that have held over from the previous stockings of Beach Pond and Mashapaug Lake.

Anglers should be aware that the regulations for broodstock Atlantic salmon released into lakes and ponds are different from the regulations for salmon in the Naugatuck, Housatonic and Shetucket Rivers. In each lake, the regulations for methods, seasons and minimum lengths for salmon are the same as for trout in that specific water body but the daily creel limit is one salmon per day. As such, specific regulations for salmon fishing in Crystal Lake, Mount Tom Pond, Mashapaug Lake and Beach Pond can be found in the 2010 Connecticut Angler’s Guide and are provided at the conclusion of this news release.
Atlantic salmon broodstock stocked in the Shetucket and Naugatuck rivers are released into three designated Atlantic Salmon Broodstock Areas: 1) between Scotland Dam (Scotland) and Occum Dam (Norwich) on the Shetucket River; 2) the “Campville Section” of the upper Naugatuck River from Route 118 downstream to the Thomaston Flood Control Dam (Litchfield-Thomaston); and 3) the “Beacon Falls Section” of the lower Naugatuck from Prospect Street (Naugatuck) downstream to Pines Bridge Road (Route 42 bridge, Beacon Falls). Anglers should be aware that the section of the Naugatuck River in the Beacon Falls area along the RR tracks in Naugatuck State Forest is no longer stocked due to safety concerns.

Anglers are allowed to fish for salmon in the Naugatuck River from the confluence of the East and West Branches (Torrington) downstream to the Housatonic River (Derby). Anglers may also fish for Atlantic salmon in the Housatonic River downstream of Derby Dam. On the Shetucket River, anglers can fish for salmon downstream from the Scotland Dam (Windham) to the Water Street Bridge in Norwich (the first bridge upstream of Norwich Harbor).

In the Naugatuck, Housatonic and Shetucket Rivers, angling for Atlantic salmon is restricted to catch-and-release only through November 30. From December 1, 2010, through March 31, 2011, the daily creel limit for Atlantic salmon will be one. During the open season in the rivers, the legal method for taking Atlantic salmon is limited to angling using a single fly, or an artificial lure with a single free swinging hook and no additional weight can be added to the line above the fly or lure. Also, from October 1st through March 31st, fishing for other species in the designated Atlantic Salmon Broodstock Areas is restricted to the gear legal for Atlantic salmon.

The regulations for broodstock Atlantic salmon stocked into lakes and ponds will be posted at each water body. Anglers can also contact the DEP Inland Fisheries Division (860-424-FISH) for more information. All other regulations, including those for broodstock salmon in the Naugatuck, Housatonic and Shetucket Rivers, can also be found in the 2010 Connecticut Angler’s Guide. Guides are available from Town Clerks, many bait & tackle stores, or by contacting the DEP Inland Fisheries Division (860-424-FISH). The Angler’s Guide, Weekly Fishing Reports and news releases can all be found on the DEP web site at: www.ct.gov/dep/fishing


Regulations for Atlantic salmon fishing in Crystal Lake, Mount Tom Pond, Beach Pond and Mashapaug Lake are as follows:

Crystal Lake
Legal Methods: Angling and Ice Fishing - Fishing with hook and line. May include fishing with bait, flies or lures.
Open Season: Third Saturday in April through last day in March.
Minimum Length: Salmon must be greater than or equal to 16 inches to keep.
Daily creel limit: 1 Atlantic salmon

Mount Tom Pond, Beach Pond*, Mashapaug Lake*
Legal Methods: Angling and Ice Fishing – Fishing with hook and line. May include fishing with bait, flies or lures.
Open Season: Third Saturday in April through last day in February.
Minimum Length: None
Daily creel limit: 1 Atlantic salmon
*Beach Pond and Mashapaug Lake are not being stocked with broodstock salmon this fall. Both lakes have been stocked previously, most recently in April, 2009.

Save them for the rivers. I can't stand the idea of introducing them into lakes as an evasive species. Most CT lakes we have don't have the bait or temp to support salmon. Atleast they stopped putting them in Mahsapaug.

Don't get me wrong I love the idea of dumping these fish in the two rivers and think DEP is in a win win situation with this idea. And I myself fish the shetuckett atleast a few times every year.

Thanks for the update Encon.

Are you kidding me about the bait in Crystal? How many trout over 20" have you gotten out of Crystal? I do understand the concept is cool about catching a 20 lb salmon in Crystal but to me its a pet fish that was put in when it was that size. I would much rather catch a 24" trout that was released when it was 12" and actually survived two or three years to make it to that size.

I dunno its just my opinion.

Also it seems that the salmon bring alot of meat hunters to the lake during the ice season. And I am no biologist but my guess would be that a couple hundred salmon could put a good dent in an alewive population in a CT lake.



These salmon are not stocked for the salmon restoration program. Both these rivers are suppose to be blocked by dams so these fish don't even have a way to return to the ocean. These are breeders that were used for producing fry for the restoration program . They are left over fish that the state has no need for anymore. From what I am told these are fish that can no longer spawn or if they can but are past their prime.

So correct me if I am wrong, since the Housey below the Derby dam is considered fishable salmon waters, anyone using a jig head to target wintering striped bass is in violation??? That is pretty F-ed up, you guys should petition to have those waters closed to salmon fishing.



"Anglers are allowed to fish for salmon in the Naugatuck River from the confluence of the East and West Branches (Torrington) downstream to the Housatonic River (Derby). Anglers may also fish for Atlantic salmon in the Housatonic River downstream of Derby Dam. On the Shetucket River, anglers can fish for salmon downstream from the Scotland Dam (Windham) to the Water Street Bridge in Norwich (the first bridge upstream of Norwich Harbor).

In the Naugatuck, Housatonic and Shetucket Rivers, angling for Atlantic salmon is restricted to catch-and-release only through November 30. From December 1, 2010, through March 31, 2011, the daily creel limit for Atlantic salmon will be one. During the open season in the rivers, the legal method for taking Atlantic salmon is limited to angling using a single fly, or an artificial lure with a single free swinging hook and no additional weight can be added to the line above the fly or lure. Also, from October 1st through March 31st, fishing for other species in the designated Atlantic Salmon Broodstock Areas is restricted to the gear legal for Atlantic salmon."

The salmon I've caught out of Crystal have come on live/frozen bait. I would agree that I haven't seen anything in their stomachs, but they're clearly hitting bait (shiners) so I don't see why they'd not go after alwifes.