Connecticut · USA
Lake Housatonic
- Region
- Connecticut, USA
- Regulation zone
- Connecticut statewide regulations
Species in Lake Housatonic
Alewife
American Eel
Banded Killifish
Black Crappie
Blacknose Dace
Bluegill
Brook Trout
Brown Bullhead
Brown Trout
Chain Pickerel
Common Carp
Common Shiner
Fallfish
Golden Shiner
Goldfish
Largemouth Bass
Northern Pike
Pumpkinseed
Rainbow Trout
Redbreast Sunfish
Rock Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Spottail Shiner
Tessellated Darter
Walleye
White Catfish
White Perch
White Sucker
Yellow Perch
Tap a species for Bump Board's full tactics guide.
Seasons & limits — Connecticut statewide regulations
| Species | Season | Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout (Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Tiger, Lake) | Year-round | Daily limit 5; minimum length 9 inches. Catch and release only from March 1 until 6:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of April. | — |
| Chain Pickerel | Year-round | Lakes and ponds: minimum length 15 inches, daily limit 6. Rivers and streams: no minimum length, no daily limit. Different rules apply in Chain Pickerel Management Lakes. | — |
| Northern Pike and Tiger Muskie | Year-round | Minimum length 26 inches; daily limit 2. Bantam Lake and Little Pond have special rules (see special waters). | — |
| Walleye | Year-round | Minimum length 18 inches; daily limit 2. | — |
| Catfish (Channel and White) | Year-round | No minimum length; daily limit 6 in aggregate. Daily limit is 3 catfish in Community Fishing Waters. | — |
| Common Carp | Year-round | No minimum length; daily limit 5, only 1 of which may be greater than 30 inches. Different rules apply in Trophy Carp Waters and for bow and arrow fishing in some waters. | — |
| White Perch | Year-round | Inland district: no minimum length, no daily limit. (Marine District: 7-inch minimum, daily limit 30.) | — |
| American Eel | Year-round | Minimum length 9 inches; daily limit 25. The taking of elver eel, glass eel and silver eel is prohibited. | — |
| Bullhead (Brown and Yellow) | Year-round | No minimum length; no daily limit. | — |
| Alewife/Blueback Herring | Varies (angling year-round; scoop net April 1 to June 15) | Daily limit 25. Taking of migratory (anadromous) alewife and blueback herring from all Connecticut waters is prohibited; landlocked alewife may only be taken from the lakes named in the guide. | — |
Always confirm regulations with the official state regulations before fishing — rules change, and waterbody-specific exceptions apply.
Waterbody-specific rules
- From the Stevenson Dam to the Derby Dam.
- Boat launch at Indian Well State Park, opens for daytime (8:00 a.m. to sunset) use on April 1 (no other amenities until mid-May).
- Park officially closes September 30.
- Boating/fishing access may continue past this date. Contact Park Manager ( 203-735-4311 ) for information concerning status of fall boating and fishing access.
- Minimum steerage speed within 25 ft. of shore or dock.
- Zebra mussels present.
- Bass Management Lake
- Largemouth and smallmouth bass:
- Daily creel limit -- 2.
- 16″ minimum length.
More Connecticut lakes
Species: Connecticut state fisheries lake records, via the Bump Board dataset.