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Thames River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 11, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Connecticut’s deep estuary: the Thames runs striped bass and blues from New London to Norwich.

5/5
Excellent. Go now.Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.
Next tide
Low 4:33 PM
Air / High
64 / 80 F
Wind
WNW 5 mph

Sources: NOAA tides 8461490, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
11
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

5/5Excellent. Go now.Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.

Thames River offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. Today brings cloud cover, wind WNW around 5 mph, falling pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 80. Tides: high 9:56 AM and 10:18 PM, low 4:08 AM and 4:33 PM: the moving water either side of each change is when this place feeds. Water sits around 72 F for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:32 PM-1:32 AM and 11:32 AM-1:32 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Striped bassExcellent

Surface action windows at dawn; otherwise free-lines and planer boards over long points and humps.

BluefishExcellent

Follow the bunker and mullet schools: blitzes can erupt anywhere on the beach. Wire or heavy leader always.

Tomorrow: Similar at 77 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 12, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Connecticut requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $28.00 for residents, and salt water needs its own licence here. What a Connecticut licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing striped bass here? Check the size and bag limits with CT DEEP before you keep anything.

Water and weather

Live readings.

Tides

NOAA station 8461490 (New London, CT). Fish the moving water either side of each change.

Fri
LOW4:08 AM0.0 ft
HIGH9:56 AM3.3 ft
LOW4:33 PM0.1 ft
HIGH10:18 PM3.1 ft
Sat
LOW4:49 AM0.1 ft
HIGH10:41 AM3.4 ft
LOW5:21 PM0.2 ft
HIGH11:03 PM2.9 ft

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp64 F
High / Low80 / 64 F
WindWNW 5-13 mph
Pressure1013.6 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset06:24 / 19:04
MoonNew Moon, 0%
Water temp (seasonal)~72 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 11 · Overcast, 80/64 F, wind 10 mph, rain 2%

Fair or better. A 10 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Thames River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Striped bass illustration

Striped bass

Best: spring and fall

The reservoir heavyweight. Follows shad and herring schools in open water year-round. Surface action windows at dawn; otherwise free-lines and planer boards over long points and humps.

Bluefish illustration

Bluefish

Best: Sep-Oct blitzes

The ocean's most honest fish: when blues blitz bait on the beach, everything with hooks gets bit. Follow the bunker and mullet schools: blitzes can erupt anywhere on the beach. Wire or heavy leader always.

When to come: the Thames River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Striped bass
Bluefish
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 72 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~72 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Thames River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 10

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 86 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 9

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 78 F, wind to 14 mph.

Tue, Sep 8

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 82 F, wind to 12 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Connecticut requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Connecticut license including the marine registration. Striped bass and bluefish are size- and season-regulated: check current DEEP rules.

Access

Launches at Norwich, Montville, New London and Groton; shore access at parks and fishing piers.

About this water

A 15-mile deep tidal estuary from Norwich to Long Island Sound, New London County, Connecticut.

Fishing Thames River: the full guide

A short, deep river

The Thames River runs about 15 miles from Norwich, where the Yantic and Shetucket meet, to Long Island Sound at New London and Groton. It is a deep tidal estuary rather than a river in the usual sense, and it holds striped bass, bluefish, hickory shad, white perch and winter flounder, with the deep channel giving fish cover year-round.

Striped bass through the seasons

Striped bass use the Thames heavily, holding the channel edges, the bridge structure, the piers and the current seams on moving tide. Live eels, plugs, soft plastics and flies all take fish, and the river fishes well from spring through late fall. A holdover population means some fish are present through winter in the deeper reaches.

Shad, perch and other species

Hickory shad run the river and provide light-tackle fishing on small jigs and darts. White perch fill the upper reaches, especially in spring. Bluefish push through in summer, and winter flounder are taken in the lower river in the cooler months. The mix rewards anglers who fish it repeatedly.

New London County logistics

Launches serve the river at Norwich, Montville and the New London and Groton areas, with shore access at parks and the fishing piers. The Coast Guard Academy, the Naval Submarine Base and commercial traffic all use the river: keep clear of restricted zones, which are marked and enforced.

Common questions

Are there stripers in winter?

A holdover population stays in the deeper reaches through the cold months, though fishing is slow and specialized.

Where do I fish the tide?

Channel edges, bridge structure and current seams on moving water: slack tide is usually the dead period.

Are there restricted areas?

Yes: the submarine base and Coast Guard facilities have marked security zones. Keep clear.

Is fishing good at Thames River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor.

Nearby waters

Gardner Lake10 miPawcatuck River15 miWatchaug Pond20 miWood River21 miNinigret Pond22 miMontauk24 mi
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