Photo by Steve Carpenteri.

New England’s trout anglers are some of the luckiest in the nation. Productive coldwater fisheries are abundant throughout the region. New England also corners the market on wild brook trout habitat -- and fisheries biologists are working hard to keep it that way.

There are countless lakes, brooks, streams, rivers and ponds for trout anglers to choose from. Better yet, over 4 million trout are stocked into New England’s public-access waters each year.

Here’s a state-by-state roundup of trout management programs and best-bet locations straight from the folks who know -- fisheries management experts fresh in from their 2007 field work:

CONNECTICUT
The majority of trout taken by Nutmeg State anglers are stocked, and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection has an ambitious program with dedicated fisheries biologists working to keep a quality fishery viable.

Nearly 745,000 catchable trout were poured into 100 lakes and ponds, and 200 rivers and streams in 2007, according to Michael Humphreys, a DEP Inland Fisheries Division fisheries biologist and Wild Trout Project leader.

Certain management areas receive special allocations of trout. Designated Trophy Trout Streams receive about 50 percent large specialty trout and fall under special creel limits of two trout per day rather than the standard five trout per day. Trophy Trout Streams are stocked with about 80,000 trout annually.

“Good bets for 2008 include the West Branch Farmington River and main stem Farmington River; the Natchaug River in Eastford; the Naugatuck River in Harwinton; the Pequonnock River in Bridgeport and Trumbull; the Salmon River in Colchester and the Shetucket River from Windham to Norwich,” Humphreys said. Designated Trophy Trout Lakes are stocked with yearling brown trout and large specialty brown trout. These lakes fall under special regulations for season, size and creel limits, so be sure to check the latest rules before heading out.

“Best bets for 2008 include Crystal Lake in Ellington, East Twin Lake in Salisbury, West Hill Pond in New Hartford and Barkhamsted, and Highland Lake in Winchester,” Humphreys said. “Additional lakes with great spring fishing for large, holdover trout include Beach Pond in Voluntown and Lakeville Lake in Lakeville.”

Stocked Catch-and-Release Trout Management Area streams (TMAs) are popular with anglers because they provide some of the highest catch rates in the state. Some of these streams are seasonal, open to catch-and-release fishing from September to Opening Day, while others are year-round. Seasonal TMAs are stocked (often with larger trout) in September, and then several times again in spring.

“These streams provide excellent fishing in early spring when most other streams are closed to fishing,” Humphreys noted. “The most successful seasonal TMAs include Lower Farmington TMA in Avon; the Hammonasset River in Clinton; the Mianus River in Greenwich; the Mill rivers in Fairfield and Hamden; the Salmon River in Colchester; the Saugatuck River Fly-Fishing-Only Area in Westport and the Yantic River in Lebanon.”