September 14, 2026 - 10:21:00
Word from Ollie at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk is that fishing for a variety of species—largemouths, smallmouths, walleyes, brown trout, and crappies—remains steady at Saugatuck Reservoir. Many are nice-size specimens especially the walleyes (running 24 inches and up) and brown trout (“high-quality”). Shiners are still the best bait, either slip-bobbered or free-lined with a couple of small split shots above. Regarding crappies, Ollie revealed that they can now be found (1) on rocks and weed edges on flats; (2) around the bridge in the north end where the Saugatuck River enters; (3) at the dam in the impoundment’s south end; and (4) suspended off laydowns extending out over deep drop-offs. Many customers are eagerly awaiting fall trout and broodstock Atlantic salmon stocking. The leapers could start going into selected rivers in the next week or so.
September 14, 2026 - 10:20:43
Jesse at Fisherman’s World said they’re still seeing and hearing of good late summer action though this week they did get some reports of local hardtails, a sign of the coming fall run. Several customers reported seeing and or catching both Spanish mackerel and bonito, hopefully a good sign for the coming funny fish season. Striper fishing is still good, on the local reefs at night with live and plastic eels. There are some fish to be caught early mornings on topwater lures as well, but the largest fish, in the 30- to 40-pound class are coming for customers fishing while the sun is down. Snapper blues have really come into form in the last week or two as they seem to be everywhere through the region. Snappers are in the harbors, river mouths and estuaries as well as along the shoreline. Otherwise for blues, there is a mix of sizes around and some are very large. Topwater feeds have been common throughout the day for large choppers, 15-pounds and larger. The waters around 28C and Middleground have had the biggest concentration of better sized blues. The weakfish bite going on in shallow water, 20-feet or less has been pretty good. Jesse said customers reported doing well with keeper sized fish on peanut bunker and pink gulp and epoxy jigs. Fluke fishing is the same. Lots of short fish with a few keepers here and there for dedicated anglers fishing in 40-feet of water or less. Scup fishing is very good. Boaters targeting hard bottom with clam chum in 30-feet or less are doing well. As are shore anglers fishing from popular spots like Calf Pasture Beach and Sherwood Island. The shop is open seven days a week.
September 08, 2026 - 16:11:01
Word from Ollie at Fisherman’s World in Norwalk is that action with largemouths, smallmouths, and some walleyes in the evening remains steady at Saugatuck Reservoir, and shiners continue as the bait of choice. Crappie fishing stayed good too. Ollie has been catching slabs in the 12- to-16-inch range on crappie jigs, small soft-plastic paddletails, and live minnows fished around laydowns extending over drop-offs into deep water. The calicoes are either near bottom or suspended about half way down. Local rivers including the Norwalk River and Mill River in Fairfield are still producing some holdover stocked trout as well as natives. Ollie also mentioned the Mill River where it enters Mohegan Lake in Fairfield, saying that trout like to hang around the cooler inflowing water. Deep holes in the 170.4-acre lake are also harboring holdovers. (Lake Mohegan was stocked with trout March 10 and April 16, 2026.)
September 08, 2026 - 16:10:51
Jesse at Fisherman’s World said that local action was good with steady bites for bass, bluefish, weakfish and scup with some decent action for fluke. The biggest change they’d heard of this week was a developing shore bite for striped bass. Linesides in the mid-30 to 40-inch class were being taken on bait by day and paddletails fished on jigheads by night from the rocks. The bass bite out at the reefs is unchanged. The best bite is on the deeper reefs, fishing at night with eels. There are some fish to be caught early mornings on topwater lures as well, but the largest fish, in the 30- to 40-pound class, are taking live and plastic eels while the sun is down. Some more bluefish are filtering into the area. There is a mix of sizes around and some are very large. Topwater feeds have been common throughout the day for large choppers, 15-pounds and larger. 28C and Middleground have had the biggest concentration of big blues. The weakfish bite going on in shallow water, 20-feet or less has been pretty good. Jesse said customers reported doing well with keeper sized fish on peanut bunker and pink gulp and epoxy jigs. Fluke fishing is the same. Lots of short fish with a few keepers here and there for dedicated anglers fishing in 40-feet of water or less. Scup fishing is very good. Boaters targeting hard bottom with clam chum in 30-feet or less are doing well. As are shore anglers fishing from popular spots like Calf Pasture Beach and Sherwood Island. The shop is open seven days a week.
