The freedom that a kayak gives you to explore new areas has always excited me and I have traveled from Florida to Massachusetts with a kayak on my vehicle searching for a spit of land to launch from and fish. We are lucky to have some great places to kayak fish right here in the tri-state area. One such place is the Norwalk islands, a short paddle from the mainland the island chain are remnants of a glacial terminal moraine, rocks which were deposited at the southernmost edge of the ice sheet that covered Connecticut 17,000 years ago. The chain is made up 32 smaller islands. What makes this area worthy of a fishing trip? I guess that it's the same scenario that makes any place a great fishing area - plenty of structure that holds plenty of baitfish, this combined with good moving water and the nearby deeper water makes it home to striped bass, bluefish, fluke and in recent year it has been a one of the farthest points west in the Long Island Sound for false albacore. The combination of deep water and mud flats make for great fishing all season long. The kayak is a definite advantage as these areas have claimed many a boat trying to navigate the array of rocky islands. The islands provide good shelter from the wind and you can also always find a place to tuck from the blow.
If the fly rod is you weapon of choice then you have some great company as Hemmingway and many others have chased trophy bass on the fly here, the current 15lb. Tippet record of 46 lbs. Comes from the Norwalk's.
The spring striper fishing starts in April with the shallower darker flats
producing large number of school striped bass but the deep waters just south of the island chain are great for bigger bass on way back from the spawn in late to mid May. The Islands as well as Norwalk Harbor hold large bunker schools all summer long and the bluefish are usually close by. The eastern island of Cockenoe is great areas for fluke come August. Cockenoe reef is a nice place to beach the kayak and fly or spin fish, tossing poppers in the summer can yield some big bluefish. Come late September the peanuts are usually pretty thick with bass and blues teaming up to produce some great fall action - in some years the bass will stay around well into late November and even early December. A thrill in recent years has been the albies ripping through schools of baitfish in August, it's hard to actually target these speedsters but if you happen to be there at the right time - it can be unforgettable.
Most of the waters between the islands and the mainland are in the 4 " to 10" range and this is perfect for light tackle kayak fishing with trolling a great way to locate prime areas, the kayak is made for this technique.
Your kayak adventure to the Norwalk's should start by obtaining a canoe/kayak in-water trail guide for the Norwalk Islands. This guide was inspired by other in-water trail guides that were developed by the Connecticut River Estuary Regional Planning Agency and funded by the DEP LIS Fund for areas located along the lower reaches of the Connecticut River. This trail guide is designed to provide natural resource and environmental information on the Norwalk Islands and to promote safe paddling. Six-thousand (6,000) laminated, waterproof tri-fold guide brochures were produced and are available to the public. The brochure includes trail locations, soundings and public access points. The inside panel of the guide illustrates half and full-day trails using a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chart as the base map. In addition to the laminated guides, a large-scale version of the guides was installed at the informational area at the boat launch area at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk. For a copy of the trail guide, please call SWRPA at (203) 316-5190. Another option is camping which allowed on 3 of the islands. You will have to get an overnight camping permit from the South Western Regional Planning Agency and they can be reached at (203) 316-5190. One of the best points of entry to the islands is the Calf Pasture Beach boat launch in Norwalk. During the season there is a parking fee for non-residents.
The Long island Sound is one of the best kayak fishing destinations there is, with plenty of protected waters and an abundance of great fishing for most of the year. Areas like the Norwalk's are made for a kayak and give you an advantage over powerboats. Any exploration of new areas by kayak should be addressed with caution and you should always have proper safety equipment.