Connecticut Trout Management Areas
Connecticut's TMA offer a variety of trout fishing opportunities for trout anglers during the 7 weeks that other freshwaterr fishing areas are closed. CT regular freshwater season is closed from the last day in Febuary until April 21, 2012.
Connecticut fishing season doesn’t begin until April 21 but we are lucky enough to have catch & release Trout Management Areas (TMA) that are open year round to satisfy our fishing desires. Thanks to the mild winter season; the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection has already begun to stock these areas with trout early. As of several weeks ago, the CT DEEP has stocked over 12,000 rainbow, brown, and brook trout into many of these TMA sites. Stocked TMA sites and amount of trout stocked are listed below:
• Yantic River TMA 1500 fish
• Salmon River TMA 2170 fish
• Moosup River TMA 800 fish
• Hockanum River TMA 1200 fish
• Willimantic River TMA 815 fish
• Hammonasset River TMA 1410 fish
• Naugatuck River TMA 1450 fish
• Mill River-Hamden TMA 1050 fish
• Mianus River TMA 1160 fish
Remember that these areas are catch & release only and these sites should be treated with care.
Catch and Release vs Harvest?
Some of the streams suitable for TMAs provide
habitat capable of sustaining trout populations
through the summer months�� These are being
managed for catch and release throughout the
year
Other streams provide good trout habitat only
during the cooler months�� TMAs on these waters
are managed for catch and release through the
fall and winter, but are then opened to harvest in
the spring to allow anglers to catch and keep fish
that otherwise would die during the summer��
Stocked Trout
The DEP continues to stock catchable size
hatchery trout (9"-12") into more than 200 streams
with public fishing access�
Trophy Trout Areas
In order to enhance the opportunity for anglers to
catch really large trout, Trophy Trout Areas have
been created These areas are stocked with
increased numbers of larger hatchery trout
Trout Management Areas
By increasing the number of stream miles included
in existing TMAs and by creating new and a
broader variety of TMAs in the State, we have
increased angler access to high-quality,
sustainable fishing within the capacity of current
hatchery production
Wild Trout
The presence of self-sustaining wild trout
populations in a number of streams means that
Connecticut anglers can enjoy this alternative to
fishing for hatchery-raised fish
However, many of these populations cannot
withstand increased harvest Therefore, a number
of these streams are being managed for catch and
release angling, with little or no stocking of
hatchery raised fish
Trout Parks
To enhance trout fishing opportunities for young
anglers and novice anglers as well as for those
with mobility challenges we have created Trout
Parks that offer easy access�� These areas are
stocked more frequently to ensure high success
rates
Brook Trout
See Angler's Guide for a list
of areas and a general
summary of their regulations.
For complete site-specific
information including all
regulations that apply, you
CONNECTICUT TROUT
MANAGEMENT AREAS (TMA)
Naugatuck River, TMA
Bulls Bridge TMA
Farmington River TMA
Hammonasset River TMA
Hockanum River TMA
Housatonic River TMA
Mianus River TMA
Mill River TMA
Moosup River TMA
Pequabuck River TMA
Salmon River TMA
West Branch Farmington River TMA
William Doc Skerlick TMA
(Saugatuck River)
Willimantic River TMA
Yantic River TMA
TROUT PARKS
Easy to fish, frequently stocked fishing areas�� Reduced
creel limit (2)
Black Rock SP (pond and brook), Watertown
Chatfield Hollow SP (pond and brook), Killingworth
Horse Pond, Salem
Kent Falls SP (brook), Kent
Natchaug R, Eastford
Salmon R TMA, Colchester
Sleeping Giant SP (Mill R), Hamden
Southford Falls SP (brook and pond), Oxford
Stratton Brook SP (ponds and brook), Simsbury
Wharton Brook SP (pond), Wallingford
Wolfe Park (Great Hollow Lake), Monroe
TROPHY TROUT STREAMS
Reduced creel limit (2) Higher minimum length limit in
some areas
Farmington R-West Branch, Hartland to New Hartford
Farmington R, New Hartford to Farmington
Natchaug R, Eastford-Chaplin-Windham
Naugatuck R, Torrington to Ansonia
Pequonnock R, Trumbull
Pomperaug R, Woodbury-Southbury
Salmon R, Colchester to Haddam
Shetucket R, Windham to Norwich
WILD TROUT
MANAGEMENT AREAS (WTMA)
CLASS 1 WTMAs
Abundant wild trout No trout stocking Catch-and-
release only, no closed season
Belding WTMA (Tankerhoosen River), Vernon
Deep Brook WTMA (and portion of Pootatuck River)Newtown
Macedonia WTMA (Lower), Kent
Eight Mile River WTMA, Southington
Hawleys Brook WTMA, Easton-Weston
Merrick/Beaver Brooks WTMA, Scotland
Mill River WTMA, Easton
Quinnipiac River WTMA, Meriden-Southington
Wachocastinook Brook WTMA, Salisbury
CLASS 2 WTMAs:
Some wild trout and stocked trout Reduced creel limit
(2) and higher minimum length limit (12")
Heather Reaves WTMA (Furnace Brook), Cornwall
Salmon Brook WTMA, Glastonbury
CLASS 3 WTMAs:
Some wild trout and stocked trout�� Higher minimum length
limit (9")
Beacon Hill Brook WTMA, Naugatuck-Beacon Falls
Blackberry River WTMA, Canaan
East Aspetuck River WTMA, New Milford-New
Preston
East Branch, Naugatuck R WTMA, Torrington
Farm River WTMA, Branford-East Haven
Fenton River WTMA, Mansfield-Willington
Little River WTMA, Oxford
Macedonia Brook WTMA (Upper), Kent
Morgan Brook WTMA, Barkhamsted
Norwalk River WTMA, Wilton-Ridgefield
Pease Brook WTMA, Lebanon
Roaring Brook WTMA, Glastonbury
Roaring Brook WTMA, Stafford
Salmon Brook WTMA, Granby
Sessions Woods WTMA (Negro Hill Brook), Burlington
Shunock Brook WTMA, North Stonington
Stony Brook WTMA, Montville
SEA-RUN TROUT STREAMS
Reduced creel limit (2) and higher minimum length limit
(9�� or 15��)��
Eight Mile R, East Haddam-Lyme
Farm R, Branford
Hammonasset R, Killingworth-Clinton-Madison
Latimer Brook, East Lyme
Mianus R, Greenwich-Stamford
Oil Mill Brook, East Lyme
Saugatuck R, Danbury-Redding-Weston-Westport
Whitfords Brook, Groton-Ledyard
DESIGNATED SPECIAL MANAGEMENT
AREAS FOR TROUT
For complete site-specific regulations & locations, see the:
CONNECTICUT ANGLER��S GUIDE
