Beyond Fish · 🦑 Squid
Squid Fishing in Connecticut
Every spring longfin squid swarm into Long Island Sound to spawn, and night anglers line the lit docks and piers with small jigs. It’s fast, fun fishing — and fresh calamari is the best striper and fluke bait there is.
📍 Where to go
A lit public pier on New Haven Harbor and one of the most popular spring squid spots in the state. Busy on good nights — be courteous with lines and lights.
Spot details, tides & map →CT DEEP lists 24-hour pedestrian access from the Riverfront Walk to Pier 4 on the Thames River, with regulations posted on the pier. Deep, moving water close to the Sound.
A public fishing pier near the mouth of the Housatonic River. Squid move in with the spring bait; fish the lit edges on a slack tide.
Any lit dock over deep, clean salt water can hold squid in May. Many marinas are private — ask permission and respect closing hours.
Reports of where squid are biting change night to night — tell us what you find with “Submit your catch.”
How to catch squid
- Find the light. Squid gather at the edge of the lit water where baitfish hang. Look for darting shapes just outside the glow.
- Cast past the light and let the jig sink, then twitch it back with short lifts and pauses. Most squid grab it on the pause.
- Set gently and reel steady. No hook barbs — keep tension or they drop off.
- Swing them in quickly and aim the ink away from your clothes. Put them straight into a bucket, then on ice.
- Try colors. Pink, orange and glow jigs are favorites; switch when the bite slows. Some anglers run two small jigs in tandem.
Night-fishing rules
In Connecticut coastal state parks, anglers who enter by vehicle need a parking permit to park and fish at night, and no vehicles are admitted to day-use areas from 6:30 to 8:00 AM. Walk-in anglers need fishing tackle (rod, bait, light), a marine fishing license and must actually be fishing. Town piers and marinas set their own hours — follow the posted rules.
Using squid for bait
Fresh or frozen squid strips are a top bait for fluke (summer flounder), scup, sea bass and stripers. Cut long, tapered strips and keep them cold; a fresh whole squid is a classic big-striper bait.
📜 Official sources — we check these pages every week and update this guide when the rules change. Last checked October 28, 2026.
- CT DEEP — Bait Species, Crab, Lobster & Shellfish Regulations (updated June 2025)
- CT DEEP — Shore Fishing in Coastal State Parks (night fishing rules) (updated June 2025)
This page is a plain-language summary. The official rules always win — confirm before you go.