The Mattabesset River is a great trip to take the canoe or kayak out on. There is a launch to the right of the Dunkin Donuts on Rt 3 in Cromwell. One thing to keep in mind is the tides. The water can get very shallow during low tide, but it is still navigable with a canoe or kayak. The current is very slow going out & coming in, but if you catch it right, you can just drift with the current and not have to do much paddling at all. The fishing is decent (you can check out my trip that I posted also). I saw a couple small trout when the water level was low. I also saw a couple Great Blue Herons (I think that's what they were) and hundreds upon hundreds of Red-winged black birds. I have heard that there are some BIG Pike in this River as well.
Ive had success catching bass in the river about 200 yards from the launch towards the Cromwell Meaows area and beyond, what have you generally caught there? A buddy of mine claimed to have hooked a "giant pike" but i wasnt there to verify. Last time I went I caught a few 13-16" bass and saw alot of marsh birds as well which added to the experience. How far towards the CT river do you go?
I've only fished there a handful of times. I've caught primarily bass- no huge ones- maybe about 3lb max. I caught my first & only Pike last year. It was small, but I too have heard there are some huge Pike in the river. I've caught most of my fish where the river opens up at it's widest point (lots of grass/weeds/pads on the edges). I've gone all the way to the CT River, but most of the time I only go about 1/2-3/4 of the way.
i think i may have fished that river before, but i'm not sure. does it go under the rt 3 and rr bridges?