Shetucket River Connecticut Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Tailwater
Species
Brown Trout (stocked)
Rainbow Trout (stocked)
Brook Trout
Atlantic Salmon
Size
Medium, 18miles long
Location
Eastern Connecticut
Nearest Towns
Norwich
Scotland
Season
3rd Saturday in April to last day of
February
Access:
Very Good
Non-Resident License
State of Connecticut
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Season:
The fishing season is species dependent
Spring:
Springtime is the best time for fly fishing the Shetucket River for trout.
Summer:
The Summer slows down the trout fishing in some areas.
Fall:
Fall is a good time to catch a large brown trout
Winter:
Wintertime is the prime time for Atlantic Salmon
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2015 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Shetucket River Connecticut
The Shetucket River flows from Willimantic River to Norwich where it joins the smaller Yantic River to form the Thames River. It’s formed by the Willimantic River and the Natchaug River’s confluence in Willimantic. The Quinebaug is a tributary of the Shetucket River. There are dams on the river in Scotland, Occum and Greenville.
The Shetucket River has brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout and Atlantic Salmon. Its water varies depending on where you are fishing. In its uppermost waters near Willimantic, it looks just like any urban river but below Willimantic, it begins to look much more like a trout stream. The river is easy to wade along state highway #32 below Willimantic.
Through South Windham, Scotland and Sptauge, the river can be accessed at several points along state highway #203. The best section in this area for Atlantic Salmon is the first four miles below Scotland Dam. It can be floated in a drift boat or fished from the access at the state highway #97 bridge. Fishing is possible upstream from both sides of the river at the bridge. Holton Road, off state highway # 207 West, takes you to Sandy Beach, an access below the dam that’s about two miles long.
The Little River is one of the larger tributaries of the Shetucket River. It joins it in Versailles. It’s also stocked with trout and has some very good fishing above the Hanover Reservoir in the Pudding Hill Wildlife Management Area. This is a medium size river with plenty of riffles, runs and pools. Hiking into the WMA will get you away from the easy access points.
The river has a very good diversity and density of aquatic insects and it’s best to match the hatch or match what’s about to hatch if you want to fool its holdover trout. Fly fishing the Shetucket River for its Atlantic Salmon is its big feature for many anglers. They hold in
the deeper pools. Most of the salmon are smaller 24 to 28 inch fish but there are also plenty of 15 to 20 pound females.