Spearfishing Regulations in Connecticut

License

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

Who needs it

Anyone 16 years of age or older. A Marine Waters Fishing License is required to spearfish in the marine district or to land marine fish taken from offshore waters; an Inland Fishing License is required for any fishing (including bow-and-arrow fishing) in the Inland District 1.

Resident cost

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 15.

Non-resident cost

Marine: $15 (annual) or $8 (3 consecutive days). Inland: $55 (annual) or $22 (3 consecutive days) 1.

Where to buy

Online through the Connecticut Sportsmen's Licensing System, at DEEP offices, and at participating town clerks and licensing vendors 1.

Speargun

Prohibited in all Inland District (freshwater) waters 2. In marine waters, spearfishing gear is allowed subject to species/size/season rules; DEEP does not impose a general speargun ban in the marine district 34.

Pole spear

In fresh water, hand-propelled spears ('spearing') are limited to designated non-trout streams and the listed nongame species only 2. In marine waters, pole spears/hand spears are permitted as recreational fishing gear subject to all marine regulations 3.

Hawaiian sling

Not named separately in Connecticut regulation. In fresh water any hand-propelled pointed instrument is treated as 'spearing' and is restricted accordingly; underwater use and spear guns are banned inland 2. In marine waters slings are permitted subject to marine fishing rules (not confirmed as a named category by DEEP) 3.

Spearfishing on SCUBA

SCUBA is permitted for marine spearfishing and for taking lobster by hand 5. Any person diving with a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) or other artificial breathing device in any state or federal water must mark their position with a clearly discernible flag/buoy approved by the commissioner, and must not surface more than 50 feet from that marker except in an emergency; no vessel may pass within 100 feet of the marker (Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 15-135, an infraction) 6. Note this dive-flag statute applies to SCUBA/artificial-breathing divers only, not to breath-hold (freedive/skin) divers. Underwater spearfishing (including on SCUBA) is prohibited in all Inland District fresh waters 2.

• Striped bass — may only be taken by angling; spearing and gaffing are prohibited (striped bass legally speared in another state may still be landed in Connecticut) 32
• Lobster — taking with spears or hooks of any kind is prohibited; possession of lobster taken by any shell-piercing method is prohibited 5
• In fresh water, all game fish (e.g., trout, bass) — only common carp, bowfin, tench, American eel, white sucker, and sea lamprey may be speared, so all other freshwater species are effectively off-limits to spearing 2
• Elver eel, glass eel, and silver eel — taking is prohibited 2

• Freshwater: spearing prohibited in all lakes and ponds statewide; spearing and bow-and-arrow use prohibited in streams or stream sections stocked with trout 2
• Marine: standard marine fishing regulations apply throughout the marine district and on land/structures abutting tidal waters 3
• Enhanced bow-and-arrow (carp) creel areas are designated on specific waters such as West Thompson Lake, the Thames River and its coves, and the Connecticut River and its coves 2

• The single biggest divide in Connecticut is saltwater vs. fresh water: legal (with a marine license) in the Sound, but spear guns and underwater spearfishing are banned outright in every freshwater body 23.
• Striped bass — Connecticut's marquee gamefish — cannot be speared at all; it is angling-only 32.
• Lobster can be taken by hand by SCUBA/skin divers with a $60 Personal Use Lobster License, but never with a spear or any shell-piercing tool 5.
• SCUBA (and other artificial-breathing) divers must fly a dive flag/buoy and stay within 50 feet of it, in both state and federal waters, under Conn. Gen. Stat. sec. 15-135; breath-hold/freedive spearos are not legally required to under this statute 6.
• All marine spearfishing is bound by the same size limits, seasons, and daily creel limits as hook-and-line fishing — undersized or out-of-season fish must be returned to the water without avoidable injury 34.

Fishing or spearing in violation of Connecticut fisheries law can result in fines and license revocation under Title 26 of the Connecticut General Statutes; illegally taken fish must be returned immediately to the water. Specific fine amounts vary by offense and are set by statute and DEEP enforcement 24.

Every fact above is drawn from these official sources. Each was retrieved on the date shown; regulations can change after that date.

1. [1]
   Source 1: CT DEEP — Fisheries Licenses and Permits (license types, costs, exemptions, who needs one)

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Fishing/General-Information/Fisheries-Licenses-and-Permits

2. [2]
   Source 2: CT DEEP — 2026 Connecticut Fishing Guide (official PDF): Definitions of Spearing, Spear Gun, Bow-and-Arrow; inland species/method rules; striped bass 'No spearing or gaffing'

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/deep/fishing/anglers_guide/2026-fishing-guide-october-2025-for-web.pdf

3. [3]
   Source 3: CT DEEP — Saltwater Fishing Guide, Species Regulations & Definitions (marine spearfishing subject to sport-fishing rules; striped bass angling-only)

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://portal.ct.gov/deep/fishing/saltwater-fishing-guide/species-regulations

4. [4]
   Source 4: CT DEEP — Marine Recreational Fishing / Saltwater License information (marine license required 16+, regulations apply on tidal waters)

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Fishing/Saltwater/Saltwater-License-Frequently-Asked-Questions

5. [5]
   Source 5: CT DEEP — Guidelines for Personal Use Lobster Fishing (official PDF): lobster by hand/SCUBA, $60 license, no spears/hooks, dive-flag & 50-foot rule

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/deep/fishing/fishing_forms/pu_lobster_guidelines.pdf

6. [6]
   Source 6: Connecticut General Statutes sec. 15-135 (Title 15, Chapter 268, Boating) — Position of scuba divers to be marked; dive flag/buoy, 50-foot surfacing rule, four-person limit, 100-foot vessel distance; violation is an infraction. Applies to SCUBA/artificial-breathing divers in any state or federal water.

   Retrieved July 5, 2026 · https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_268.htm

Is spearfishing legal in Connecticut?

Yes — spearfishing is legal in Connecticut's saltwater, and it is permitted in fresh water, subject to license, gear, species, and area rules. Connecticut is a coastal state bordering Long Island Sound. Spearfishing is permitted in marine waters as a recognized recreational fishing method, subject to all applicable…

Do you need a license to spearfish in Connecticut?

Yes. Connecticut requires the Marine Waters Fishing License (saltwater); Inland Fishing License (fresh water). Resident cost: 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 cost: Marine: $15 (annual) or $8 (3 consecutive days). Inland: $55 (annual) or $22 (3 consecutive days).

Can you spearfish on scuba in Connecticut?

SCUBA is permitted for marine spearfishing and for taking lobster by hand. Any person diving with a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) or other artificial breathing device in any state or federal water must mark their position with a clearly discernible…

What can't you spear in Connecticut?

Protected or no-take species you may not spear in Connecticut include: 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. Always check the full prohibited-species list and current seasons before diving, and confirm with Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Fisheries Division.