Swordfish fishing out of New London / Waterford is an overnight offshore fishery that runs July to October. The reefs of eastern Long Island Sound are water you cross on the way out, not water you fish. This guide covers the season window, where boats leave from, the landmarks you pass heading out, who fishes it, and where the rules are published.
When swordfish are off New London / Waterford
The local swordfish window is July to October. Lucky Strike Charters schedules swordfish trips across those months, which gives you a frame for planning your own. For the regional season picture and offshore grounds, see the Northeast swordfish guide (see also the Atlantic Northeast fishing guide).
July to October
Four months is the planning window for slips, crew and fuel. Build your trip dates inside it and watch the forecast numbers for the specific night. The window is a schedule and does not guarantee fish.
How far and where boats run
Lucky Strike and a Keepin It Reel captain both describe the trip as offshore and overnight from Waterford and New London. The run goes well past the eastern Sound, and it is a different undertaking from a daytime inshore outing.
For conditions, use numbers: wind speed, wave height and period from the official NWS marine forecast. Read them for the whole night and the run home, not just the departure.
Offshore and overnight
Going overnight shapes the planning. You need a crew that stays alert through the night, fuel for a long round trip, and a forecast window that covers the run out, the fishing and the run back. Plan it as one continuous block rather than a day trip with a late return.
Leaving from Waterford and New London
New London boats leave through the Thames River. Waterford boats leave from the Niantic side. The NOAA Coast Pilot eastern Sound chapter covers both approaches. Both departures head east through eastern Long Island Sound, past the landmarks below. Channels, ramps and local navigation detail are in the New London / Waterford port guide.
Landmarks on the way out
These are the marks you pass leaving port, listed west to east. None of them is a swordfish ground. If you fish The Race, Bartlett Reef and Watch Hill inshore, you already know this water; the swordfish are well past it, offshore.
Mark these on Chart Contours before the first run. Chart layers are not for navigation.
Black Point
- The western mark on the Waterford side as boats come out of the Niantic side.
Bartlett Reef and The Spindle
- The Spindle is a navigational aid on the rock pile at the south end of Bartlett Reef. It is a fixed reference on the run east.
The Race
- The passage most boats from this port pass on the way out of eastern Long Island Sound.
Watch Hill reefs
- The eastern mark along the route.
How it’s fished here and who fishes it
Locally this is an overnight offshore fishery, and Lucky Strike Charters is the local charter that lists swordfish. For method, baits and depths, use the swordfish fishing guide. For marlin and other billfish, see our billfish guides.
An overnight offshore fishery
Charters and private boats both fish it offshore through the night. Method is covered on the species page rather than here.
Lucky Strike Charters
Lucky Strike Charters lists swordfish trips from this port. Owner-operators new to overnight offshore runs can book a trip first and learn the run before taking their own boat. Either way, planning starts with the forecast numbers.
FAQ
Can you catch swordfish in Long Island Sound?
No. Swordfish from this port are fished offshore and overnight. The Sound’s reefs are what you pass on the way out.
When is swordfish season out of New London?
Swordfish fishing out of New London / Waterford runs July to October, per the Lucky Strike schedule. Plan your own trips inside that window.
Do boats run overnight?
Yes. Lucky Strike and a Keepin It Reel captain describe the trip as offshore and overnight from Waterford and New London.
Who runs swordfish charters from here?
Lucky Strike Charters lists swordfish trips out of this port. If you are new to overnight offshore runs, booking a trip first is one way to learn the run before taking your own boat.
Where are the rules?
CT DEEP covers state waters and NOAA HMS covers federal waters. Check both before fishing.
