Connecticut Spearfishing Rules Card

Legal status

Saltwater LegalFreshwater Permitted

Spearfishing is legal in Connecticut's marine waters (Long Island Sound and tidal rivers), where it is treated as a form of recreational fishing subject to all size limits, seasons, and creel limits.

License

Required: Marine Waters Fishing License (saltwater); Inland Fishing License (fresh water)

Resident: Marine: $10 (ages 18-64), $5 (16-17), free (65+, annual renewal). Inland: $28 (18-64), $14 (16-17), free (65+). A Personal Use Lobster License (for taking lobster by hand/skin/SCUBA diving) is a separate $60.

Non-resident: Marine: $15 (annual) or $8 (3 consecutive days). Inland: $55 (annual) or $22 (3 consecutive days).

Gear rules

• Spearguns: Prohibited in all Inland District (freshwater) waters.
• Pole spears: In fresh water, hand-propelled spears ('spearing') are limited to designated non-trout streams and the listed nongame species only.
• On scuba: SCUBA is permitted for marine spearfishing and for taking lobster by hand.
• Underwater spear fishing and any type of spear gun prohibited in all Inland District (freshwater) waters
• Freshwater hand-spearing allowed only in non-trout-stocked streams during open season, for listed nongame species only
• Striped bass may not be taken by spearing or gaffing in any Connecticut waters
• Lobster may not be taken with spears or hooks of any kind; possessing lobster taken by any method that pierces the shell is prohibited

Do not spear

• Striped bass, may only be taken by angling; spearing and gaffing are prohibited
• Lobster, taking with spears or hooks of any kind is prohibited; possession of lobster taken by any shell-piercing method is prohibited
• In fresh water, all game fish
• Elver eel, glass eel, and silver eel, taking is prohibited

Area restrictions

• Freshwater: spearing prohibited in all lakes and ponds statewide; spearing and bow-and-arrow use prohibited in streams or stream sections stocked.
• Marine: standard marine fishing regulations apply throughout the marine district and on land/structures abutting tidal waters
• Enhanced bow-and-arrow (carp) creel areas are designated on specific waters such as West Thompson Lake, the Thames River and its coves, and.

Before you dive

• Never dive alone: one up, one down.
• Check current seasons and sizes the morning of the dive.
• Confirm with Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Fisheries Division: https://portal.ct.gov/deep/fishing