100% of your investment in fishing license fees come to the DEEP Bureau of Natural Resources to support your passion for the outdoors- Thank You! 👍👍

February 2026

Please reach out to mike.beauchene@ct.gov with any suggestions, comments, or questions related to CT's Fisheries.

2026 Fishing Licenses Available

Don't miss any days of fishing in 2026 - renew or get your fishing license today!

20th Annual Winter Festival

Ice Safety is Paramount

Winter temperatures bring the potential for lakes and ponds to freeze solid. Solid is the key. We strongly encourage all to make sure ice is safe before heading out - be sure to check as you go and never assume ice thickness is uniform! View some ice safety tips here. Watch a video on how to check ice thickness.

Courtesy Utah State Parks

Join the Fisheries Division Team $$

Seasonal Job Opportunities are Posted

If you enjoy working outdoors, with people, and making our fish, wildlife, and forests better for generations to come, well - apply to be a seasonal research assistant.

Specifically within the Fisheries Division we have openings at the:

Kensington State Fish Hatchery (Berlin)
Burlington State Fish Hatchery (Burlington)
Fisheries Education Center (Killingworth)
Inland Fisheries Management Programs (Marlborough, Watertown)
Diadromous Inland Fisheries Program (Old Lyme)
Fisheries - Aquatic Invasive Species (Old Lyme)
Fisheries - Habitat Conservation and Enhancement Program (Old Lyme)
Long Island Sound Study & Marine Fisheries Program Translation (Old Lyme)
Marine Fisheries Program (Old Lyme)
Quinebaug Valley Trout Hatchery (Plainfield)

2026 Freshwater Fishing Regulations Booklet Available

The 2026 Freshwater (Inland) Fishing Regulations Summary Guide have been shipped to many town clerks and DEEP field offices. The guide is always available to view or download online 24/7. Changes to the regulations, which took effect on January 1, 2026 are noted in the guide and on our webpage.

Fishing Challenge - Top 4 Anglers

Congratulations to Adam C., Adam O., Preston L. and Logan L. who were the top four anglers (catching the greatest number of the 33 species on the official Youth Fishing Challenge list). Adam C. caught all 33 for the second consecutive year!! What an impressive accomplishment. Each of the 4 will receive a prize pack to acknowledge their success.

Don't miss out on your chance to spend quality time fishing with friends and family. Get the details for the youth fishing challenge on our website.

Meet Your Fisheries Team

During each month in 2026 you will get to meet one of the highly dedicated and passionate staff of the Fisheries Division. Each of our team bring skill and professionalism to make CT's fisheries the best they can be.

Meet Ashley Palmisano who is the state lead on the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). MRIP is the state-regional-federal partnership responsible for estimating recreational fishing activity across the United States. During the fishing season, DEEP fisheries staff conduct in-person interviews with anglers returning to marinas, boat ramps, beaches, fishing piers, and other publicly accessible fishing sites. We count the number of anglers returning from fishing trips, measure and weigh the fish that were caught, and collect information about fish that were released. These interviews are confidential, and the information samplers collect is protected under the Privacy Act of 1974.

Ashley oversees all staff who interview anglers in the field for this program. She has worked in the fisheries field for almost 11 years between being a seasonal with DEEP and working full time.

Education: B.S. from UConn in Marine Sciences and a M.S. from Oregon State University in Natural Resources with a focus in fisheries management.

When not at work: I'm a mom to a 1.5 year old little girl who keeps me on my toes! I love to be creative (when I have time now) so I created a small side business to sell my art! My husband and I have a flock of chickens, bees and a huge garden. Besides fisheries, my other passions are trying to create a sustainable lifestyle for my family through food/products we can make/grow at home. I have too many hobbies that include wood working, painting, gardening, beekeeping, taking care of pets/animals, wanting to buy a 20-acre farm (haha), the list goes on!

More About Ashley

What was the spark to get you interested in fisheries biology/management? Ever since I was a young kid, I always knew I wanted to have a job in the marine sciences field. I remember my grandpa taking me and my brother fishing on the Farmington and Salmon river which is where my love for the water and fish came from! I also grew up going to my family's beach cottage in Old Lyme and I vividly remember how fascinated I was by the ocean!

Favorite part of the job: I really enjoy engaging with the public and hearing how much our fisheries resources mean to them. I've always been passionate about bridging the gap between science/management and the public.

Least favorite part of the job: Paperwork haha but besides the paperwork aspect (because we all have paperwork) my least favorite part of the job is seeing a disconnect between the science and how it's often perceived by the public.

Trivia/Favorites of Ashley:

Pizza Topping: Hawaiian pizza! The more pineapple and ham the better!

Movie: The Notebook

Favorite Fish: Tautog

Phobia: The Dark

Dream place to live: somewhere warm most of the year but also not crowded with a lot of people.

Fishing Challenge DIY Videos

To help budding anglers fill their Youth Fishing Passport (YFP) fishing challenge score card the Fish With CARE program has made a special playlist on the DEEP Video YouTube channel. The playlist will give you tips on gear, bait, and techniques on targeting each of the 33 fish species found in the YFP fishing challenge!

The fishing challenge is free for young anglers ages 15 and younger. The challenge is a year-long fishing scavenger hunt to try and catch all 33 species on the score card. Catches are submitted online and results displayed on the dashboard. For more info, please reach out to mike.beauchene@ct.gov

This Month's Mystery Fish

Think you know this species 👀? Send your guess to mike.beauchene@ct.gov

Mystery Fish Revealed

Last month's mystery fish was the 4-spine stickleback (Apeltes quadracus).

Connecticut’s most common stickleback. True to their names, sticklebacks have very sharp spines, which can be locked in an upright position, causing these little fish to be very unpalatable for most predators. The 4-spine prefer inshore marine waters, especially salt marshes and tidal creeks. This species has the greatest range of salinity tolerance of any North American stickleback, which has allowed many freshwater populations to develop.

Sticklebacks are a small family of fish inhabiting marine and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere. Sticklebacks are small, scaleless fishes. They have 2-10 stout, unconnected dorsal spines followed by a soft dorsal fin. The caudal peduncle is narrow, and the tail fin is rounded to slightly concave. The pelvic fins are thoracic.

Four native stickleback species are found predominantly in marine/brackish water and sometimes fresh waters of Connecticut. The males build and guard nests made out of aquatic vegetation, and they become darker and/or more brightly colored during the spawning season.

Need to find a place to fish? Check out our "Where to Fish For..." interactive map with the video tutorial below.