June 01, 2026 - 10:36:07
Word from Colin at Fishin’ Factory 3 in Middletown is that shad are still in the Connecticut River, but the run is definitely slowing. Carp action, on the other hand, is hitting a springtime peak with excellent action at Harbor Park in Middletown, Wethersfield Cove in Wethersfield, and other access sites along the river. Trout guys are still getting fish at stocked waters including the very popular Salmon River where water is low and trout are holding and hitting in deeper pools. Bass anglers are contacting largemouths in local ponds, but the fishing is not as easy as it was earlier in the spring.
June 01, 2026 - 10:36:02
Andrew at Fishin’ Factory 3 said that the best bites they are hearing about have been for striped bass. Whether they talk to customers who’ve been fishing the river or heading out to reefs or The Race, bass fishing has been very good. The Connecticut River continues to produce fish although the mouth is now fishing better than upriver. With that said, customers are still reporting taking fish locally on sandworms. The mouth is coughing up fish on docs, swimmers and plastics from school sized to the 30-pound class. The reefs are fishing well with bait, flutter spoons and soft plastics and The Race has been red hot on certain tides with spoons. Reports of bluefish came in from the warm water discharge at Millstone and the mouth of the Thames River. Fluke fishing is a grind. They got a few reports of keeper sized flatfish this week but no one was scraping up more than a few here or there. Isabella seems to be a popular spot but the fishing by no means can be described as good yet. A few reports of sea bass came from the waters off Clinton, that bite should heat up soon. Scup reports are scant save for the headboats sailing to the Peconics. The shop is open seven days a week for the season.
May 26, 2026 - 10:11:08
Spoke with Andrew at Fishin’ Factory 3 in Middletown who said the Connecticut River is the most popular fishing destination at this time. The Middletown-to-Cromwell stretch is filled with shad and stripers, but the Rocky Hill boat launch area has also been hot as well as the Holyoke stretch of the river farther north in Massachusetts. Good catches of white perch are being made in the river on sandworms intended for stripers. Trout remain plentiful; however, far fewer anglers are targeting them. One of Andrew’s buddies who has been enjoying a “phenomenal” trout bite at the Salmon River said he was the only one fishing there his last time out. Asked about bass action, Andrew answered that some of his customers have been doing very well with small and medium largemouths in private farm ponds and in public waters including Millers Pond in Durham.
May 26, 2026 - 10:11:04
Andrew at Fishin’ Factory 3 told me the Connecticut River continues to fish well. Customers are catching striped bass from the mouth to the dam on both bait and artificial lures. The bite upriver has been a steady pick of fish from slot size to much larger with one report of a fish in the 30-pound class bass on a shad chunk. For the most part, bait is catching more slots and lures are getting fewer bites but attracting larger bass, overall. The bite in the mouth of the river was very good last week for fish of all sizes. Customers report catching everything from 20-inch schoolies to 30-pounders. The Berkely Nessie in the 7-, 9- and 11-inch sizes has been both popular and effective with anglers this season though hard bodied swimmers, soft plastics and topwater lures like the Doc are all taking fish. Outside the river the fishing for striped bass has been good as well. Structure adjacent to the river is holding fish as are nearby reefs. Other reports came in from The Race where the word is some days are better than others. There seems to be no lack of fish there, but being there when they decide to chew has been the difference between a good day and one with a fish or two. Fluke reports are slow to start and if anyone is catching their limits of flatfish they’ve done well to keep it quiet. There have been some short fish reported from Isabella but overall the season seems to be off to a crawl. Better news has been reported for anglers on squid trips. Customers report heading east and finding gallons of squid on the night bite. Scup fishing is reportedly excellent in the Peconics though local porgy pounders will have to wait a bit longer before they reach our inshore waters in any appreciable numbers. The shop is open seven days a week for the season.
