New England - New England Freshwater Fishing Reports

Word from Ollie at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk is that water level is high at Saugatuck Reservoir resulting in less shoreline access. That change, though, has not had a negative effect on Ollie. He has been focusing on accessible places especially the south end of the impoundment near the dam and doing very well with walleyes and largemouth bass on 4-inch Keitech swimbaits. One evening last week, for example, he popped three wallies taping 18 to 22 inches and five largies in the 2- to 3-pound bracket. His buddy worked the north end for eight smallies in the 18- to 20-inch range, also on paddletail swimbaits. Ollie added that action with all species at Saugatuck Reservoir should improve rapidly as water cools. Indeed, big brown trout should already be moving into shallow water looking for spawning sites. These bruisin’ brownies, according to Ollie, can be very aggressive. Elsewhere, trout fishing has been good in the Farmington River which as stocked September 4.

Spoke with Colin at Fishin’ Factory 3 in Middletown who made us aware of the stocking of trout in the Farmington River September 4. One customer has been fishing there and declared the action very good. Another patron reported doing well with largemouth bass and small pike on a Chatterbait at Beseck Lake in Middlefield, and a third showed Colin an image of a channel catfish estimated to weigh between 8 and 10 pounds he caught at Butternut Park Pond (Rowan’s Pond), a Community Fishing Water in Middletown. Catfishing in the Connecticut River at Harbor Park in Middletown, Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam, and Wethersfield Cove remains excellent as well.

Jeff Sullivan in Bristol shore-fished Copicut Reservoir located in Fall River and Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Largemouth bass there are putting on the fall feedbag. Casting a buzzbait early and ½-ounce willow leaf Strike King spinnerbait later, he scored fifteen largemouths, several scaling 3 to 4 pounds.

Alex at Red Top Sporting Goods in Buzzards Bay said customers have been stopping in to buy trout-fishing lures and baits, but no one has said anything about locations or catches. He thinks they just might be preparing for autumn stocking but, more likely, they are simply refusing to reveal where they have been fishing. Stocking has not yet begun in the Southeast Wildlife District which includes Cape Cod, but it should commence any time now. Last year, stocking on and just off the Cape was delayed a week or so and did not start until early October. Also, at this time one year ago, bass action was very good at Big Sandy Pond in Plymouth as well as ponds inside Miles Standish State Park in Plymouth and Mashpee-Wakeby Pond in Mashpee.

Rick in Milford told me that although the bike-ridin’ kids are back in school, they are still going fishing when time allows. Scores of them come in after school and on weekends to pick up shiners to use as bait for bass, pickerel, panfish, and bullheads in ponds and lakes all over the area. They have a ball, Rick said. Numerous other anglers have been having fun too. Brian, for instance, has been fishing out of his kayak and bagging bass and pickerel at different sites including Hopedale Pond and Milford Pond, the latter giving him a 4-pound largie. Also, a youngster, whose name escaped Rick, beached three 1- to 2-pound largemouths on shiners at Louisa Lake; another young fisherman reported taking three rainbow trout on PowerBait from shore at Ashland Reservoir; and one older gent scored more than twenty bass on minnows in three outings at a pond in Uxbridge. Rick also mentioned an unusual catch made on a shiner at Pratt Pond: a watersnake.

Ordinarily a clearinghouse for fishing reports, Roger Aziz, Jr., in Methuen said he has not had much news to pass along recently because not that many people have been out and about. However, Rog has been fishing regularly, especially at the Merrimack River. Water level is low there (and in most ponds, lakes and rivers in the Northeast Wildlife District), but he has been doing fine. Last week, he fished the river one day and caught five northern pike and a handful of crappies. Four of the northerns were small, ranging 16 to 23 inches, but one, which was relating to a school of panfish in deep water, was a much nicer water wolf measuring 30 inches. Up north in New Hampshire, the Hooksett stretch of the Merrimack River is still producing largemouth and smallmouth bass, and Canobie Lake in Windham is churning out largemouths.

From Skip at Saunders Boat Livery, Inc. in Southwick we heard that bass fishing is good at Congamond Lakes. Lots of small largemouths and a fair number of 3- to 5-pounders are being caught, particularly from daybreak until about noon. The fish are relating to all kinds of cover and structure including deep weed edges, deepwater docks, and bait schools, so anglers are advised to choose lures and techniques suited for the selected situation. But as Skip has said often in past reports, employing small finesse-size baits, light lines, and very slow presentations results in more strikes especially as water temperature drops. As of this writing, Congamond Lakes had not yet been stocked for the fall. Middle Pond at Congamond is scheduled to be stocked sometime this autumn.