On the west side of Glastonbury, Connecticut sits an artifact of the Connecticut River’s geologic past, a shallow divot in the floodplain that cuts a corner in the River’s winding course. This water-filled depression is called Keeney Cove, and it only acts as part of the Connecticut’s watercourse these days when the river is very flooded. For most of the year it is a shallow, relatively still body of water save for tidal influences at its entrance on the southern terminus and at two chokepoints where Point Road and Rt. 3 cross the cove. Unlike its sister coves just to the West, which are large and deep and can often be accessed by motorized vessels, Keeney’s entrance is shallow and winding and choked with deadfall, leaving it safe from heavy boat traffic. Nonetheless, with the easy public access for both shore-bound and kayak-based anglers, Keeney is a popular destination for just about every species that frequents Connecticut River backwaters.
Being so structurally different from the deeper western coves does mean Keeney fishes a bit differently. Depth is focused around those bridge choke points and the channel that runs more or less right up its center in a northwest to southeast orientation. Flanking the channel are mud flats with woody structure that grow think weed beds in the warm seasons. These mudflats provide good feeding grounds for largemouth bass, chain pickerel, northern pike, bowfin, and common carp. The channel edges can hold large black crappie and bluegill and it is typical to see a crowd of anglers working the deep spots on either side of the Point Road causeway with bobbers and shiners.
The further north in the cove you go, the shallower it gets. The very northern end is a murky flat that may drain on some tides when the Connecticut River is low and rarely hold much save for some carp on a rising tide. Unlike nearby Wethersfield Cove, Keeney doesn’t seem to hold quite as reliable a bite through the ice, but don’t discount good panfishing in the deeper basins and channels even in the depths of the cold season. In the spring though, this place really shines. As newly growing vegetation starts to provide good cover for predatory fish, the mud flats are some of the first water in the area to warm up. This draws fish out of the depths to get some of the radiant heat. Being in a more natural state and quieter than some other coves, a paddling angler is often treated to a variety of wildlife sightings from bald eagles and green herons to wood ducks, which nest in the boxes and hollow trees that line the cove.
Unfortunately, the shallow mud flats that distinguish Keeney from some other coves also make it the perfect place to harbor invasive water plants, and that does impact the fishing. The thick milfoil beds that long marked the edges of channel in the upper end of the cove were thick in the summer and would have halted any trolling motor, but they were just a warning it seems. When water chestnuts started to take hold in Keeney Cove it wasn’t long before they became a nearly impenetrable mat. For much of the summer now, the upper end of the cove is completely unfishable. Alas, this means that in the hot summer months when this spot used to provide an exceptional topwater bass bite (if you could deal with the mosquitoes), there isn’t much in the way of good fishing to be had.
Open water remains around the choke points and entrance but even the most determined kayaker would be hard pressed to push through the thick mat of chestnuts, let alone cover it effectively with a hollow-bodied frog. Thankfully efforts are underway to remove and mitigate these destructive invasive plants. Hopefully Keeney will eventually return to its former summertime glory. If you plan on fishing this location, be prepared not to be alone, respect the property owners who live along the Eastern Side and the farmland to the West, and enjoy the ambiance and cast of characters that one of Connecticut’s more popular urban fishing spots comes with!