As the state continues to stock bodies of water with fish, including some very large ones, Saturday is open for anyone in Connecticut to fish regardless of whether they have a license.

Spring trout stocking began in February and ever since, hatchery stocking trucks have visited lakes, ponds, and rivers throughout the state.

The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection plans to stock more than 500,000 trout by the end of this month, a majority of which will range from 10 and 12 inches, with close to 20 percent being larger than 12 inches, and some much larger, according to the agency.

DEEP normally has between five to eight stocking trucks throughout the state, providing between 10,000 to 15,000 trout each day.

Dwain Breedlove of Meriden is among those who have pulled big fish out of bodies of water in Connecticut. He hauled in a massive common carp at Mirror Lake in Hubbard Park Pond last week.

While the state doesn't typically stock carp, they are often found in shallow, warmer waters in the state, said Matt Devine, a fishery biologist for DEEP.

An avid angler who fishes at the lake nearly every day, Breedlove pulled at least three rainbow trout out of the lake on Wednesday.

"Spring is really our bread and butter for trout fishing and trout stocking throughout the state," Devine said.

DEEP stocks rainbow trout, brown trout, and brook trout, as well as tiger trout — a hybrid of the brown and brook trout that rarely grow in the wild, but are raised by the state, he said.

"We're one of the few states that provide this opportunity to catch tiger trout," Devine said.

Breedlove monitors DEEP's website to know when the most recent round of fish are stocked, and was well aware the latest round fish stocking at his local lake came on Thursday.

"The fishing for me is good," he said, other than the large birds picking off a few from time to time.

Nonetheless, DEEP does "a nice job," Breedlove said, adding that "it's very seldom" that he doesn't catch anything.

Regardless, "I don't care if I catch a fish or not," he said. "It's just very relaxing."

Anyone can join in the excitement on Saturday, dubbed "The Daily Cast," when people can fish regardless of whether they have a license. All other fishing rules and regulations remain in effect.

"The goal is to introduce and kind of recruit people to fishing in the state," Devine said.

While attracting "the next generation of anglers," Saturday is also a way to promote the state's public parks and forests to those who may not be aware of the outdoor opportunities in their communities, he said.

"It's a great way to showcase what we have in Connecticut," Devine said. "Honestly, folks don't know this is there unless they're shown it oftentimes."

"The Daily Cast" also removes the fee that comes with fishing licenses, which can be a barrier for some, he said.

The "catch and release" requirement for trout is no longer in effect, as it expired last month.

Regulations are slightly different for the state's "trout management lakes," where the harvest of one trout is allowed, or in tidal waters and tributaries where the daily limit is two trout that are at least 15 inches.

The statewide regulation does not apply to all water, so fishermen are advised to check the digital fishing guide for waterbody specific rules.

Meanwhile, DEEP is considering putting in some more stringent regulations to maintain the state's trout populations, including proposals to designate more streams as more protected management areas by making them "catch and release" only and limitations on the types of lures and flies that are permitted, Devine said.

Any new regulations wouldn't go into effect until January.

Dozens of waterbodies throughout the state have been stocked several times since February, including many that were stocked this week.

Those include the Bantam River in Litchfield, Bigelow Pond in Union, Block Rock Pond and Branch Brook in Watertown, Broad Brook Mill Pond in East Windsor, Cedar Lake in Chester, Crystal Lake in Ellington, and Day Pond in Colchester, among others.

Since January 2023, trout fishing has been allowed year-round, provided there is legal access to the water from which they were caught.