Scup

Season in Connecticut

Peak months: Jul, Aug.

CT DEEP reports: 14 to 15 in fish on local reefs in late July 2011; good to excellent on major reefs in August 2012. OTW Oct 2025: scup should start to leave as water temperatures drop. MA DMF frame (April to October at over 45 F). (Our inference)

Season by region

Where to find them

Major reefs (party boats out of Bridgeport); from shore, rocky outcrops, boulders or other structure within casting distance (CT DEEP 2012).

Schools feeding about a foot off the bottom (NY Sea Grant).

What to look for

Hard bottom, mussel beds and structure edges in the bays and Sound.

Bait

Clams, Sandworms. Hi-lo bottom rig with small baitholder hooks, sinker just heavy enough for depth and current..

Leader

NY Sea Grant: light, sturdy rod (about 5 ft) with 15 lb line and baitholder hooks.

Common mistakes

• Hooks too big for a small mouth
• Sinker too heavy to feel the quick bites
• Sorting through shorts without moving to find bigger fish

Landing

Swing it up; small fish.

Handling

• Sharp dorsal spine

Smooth the dorsal fin back before gripping.

Keep or release

Good eating; ice quickly.

Recipes for scup

Typical: 14 to 15 in on local reefs (CT DEEP 2011). Large: unknown.

Limits

FishOS has not checked the CT limits yet. Check the size, bag and season rules with the Connecticut DEEP Marine Fisheries before you keep a fish.

Sources

• CT DEEP marine fishing report, July 30 2011 (reposted on Patch) (Official source)
• CT DEEP Long Island Sound marine fishing report, Aug 2 2012 (reposted on Patch) (Official source)
• On The Water: Connecticut Fishing Report, Oct 16 2025 (Black Hall Outfitters, Middlebank) (Angler knowledge)
• MA DMF: Learn about scup (Official source)
• NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE-149: EFH source document, scup (1999) (Official source)
• New York Sea Grant fish profile: Porgy (scup) (Cornell, 2001) (Official source)

All the fish of Connecticut