The fishing and observation pier at the mouth of Southport Harbor is back in time for this fall's striper run. The town removed the old pier after a December 2022 storm and spent three autumns without it. The rebuilt Lower Wharf at 1085 Harbor Road reopened to the public on September 21, 2026, according to the Town of Fairfield's project page. As Patch reported, the town set the ribbon-cutting for noon on Wednesday, October 21, with a rain date of noon today, Thursday, October 22.

The timing fits the town's calendar. Fairfield's shoreline runs on two schedules. The beach schedule ends at Labor Day. The fishing schedule picks up speed in October, when the fall blackfish season opens and striped bass move through the western Sound. The Lower Wharf has rejoined the second one.

Three autumns without a pier at the harbor mouth

Patch's account explains why the pier disappeared. In December 2022, wind-driven waves washed over the wharf. Afterward the town took out what was left of the fishing and observation pier because of safety concerns. The town hired a contractor in early April 2026 to rebuild the pier, reconstruct the seawalls and fix up the small park around them. Construction took about five and a half months.

The project page shows how the summer went. On July 23, the deck framing was finished and railings were going in. By August 21, the pier and seawalls were done, with irrigation, sod and benches still to come. On September 21, the park reopened. The page also still lists an expected completion of July 2026 and an estimated cost of $800,000. Patch reported that First Selectperson Christine Vitale credited Fairfield's state legislative delegation with helping secure more than $1 million in state grant funding.

"This project represents an important investment in our waterfront and will provide residents and visitors with enjoyment for years to come," Vitale said in the statement Patch published. She thanked a long list of people and groups:

• the town's Harbor Management Commission and its consultant, Geoff Steadman
• the Engineering and Capital Projects departments
• the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
• the Connecticut Port Authority
• Race Coastal Engineering
• Colonna Concrete & Asphalt Paving

The Harbor Management Commission runs the wharf as a public spot for fishing, sightseeing and community events, including the annual Blessing of the Fleet.

What the western Sound is giving up this month

The pier came back as the fishing got good. The Fisherman's Connecticut report dated October 12 says the fall blackfish season opened on the Saturday of the holiday weekend. The forecast was flat calm, and tackle shops and the water were both crowded. Reports coming back to the shops described "a pretty typical start to the season." Some anglers caught their three-fish limit and others went home with nothing.

The Norwalk section of the same report, from Tyler at Fisherman's World, is the nearest detailed read on Fairfield's water:

"Fall run fishing is on for stripers and weakfish, ground fishing for blackfish, sea bass, and scup has been good and there is even a smattering of hardtails cruising the region to round things out."

The report includes details that matter if you fish from shore:

• Bass have been chasing peanut bunker along the shorelines.
• Most tautog that weekend came from shallow water, 10 to 20 feet deep.
• Crabs on jigs were the most popular early-season bait.
• Big porgies were coming to anglers fishing from Sherwood Island and Calf Pasture Beach.
• Bluefish were scarce except for small cocktail blues inshore.
• One customer took a 44-inch striped bass from the beach on a nine-inch plastic eel.

On The Water's Connecticut fishing report for October 15 tells a similar story with a deadline. Captain Chris of Elser Guide Service found false albacore on every trip he made, though they weren't around in big numbers in the western Sound. Striped bass fishing "has remained very consistent," and the bluefish bite "never really materialized." The report says a few weeks remain to make the most of the western Sound's fall run. Captain Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters said he plans to go after tautog later this month and into November.

So the pier at the harbor mouth reopened with a few weeks of the striper run left and about five weeks of blackfish season ahead.

The town's calendar shifts at Labor Day too

Fairfield's April 2026 rules and regulations explain why fall is a different shoreline. Seasonal and temporary parking permits for town beaches and marinas run from the Saturday before Memorial Day through Labor Day. Jennings Beach can also require permits on weekends from the first weekend in April. Marinas are the exception: annual permits there run from April 1 through the third weekend in November.

For anglers, the beach rules now work in your favor and the marina rules don't. Once the beach permit window closes, the town's permit rule for beach entry no longer applies. At the marinas, the annual permit requirement lasts into late November, close to the end of tautog season. Beach hours also shrink with the daylight. Since October 1, beaches close at 8 p.m., which still covers the low-light hours the On The Water report calls the most productive for numbers and bigger bass.

South Benson's new bait counter

The marina side of town got its own addition this year. According to Patch, The Shack Bait & Tackle opened at South Benson Marina. It soft-launched earlier in 2026, and owner Adam Mann held a ribbon-cutting in early August with First Selectperson Vitale and town officials. The business includes the bait and tackle shop and The Shack Food Truck, which opened in time for the Fourth of July weekend. Mann told Patch the shop carries fresh bait, ice, snacks, ice cream and coffee, and has a gas dock. The food truck serves recipes he worked out over several years, including dry rubs, chili and a gluten-free shrimp and clam batter.

Mann told Patch how he ended up here. "Seeing the kids racing down to the pier on their bikes, fishing poles in tow, gave me a sense of nostalgia, reminding me of my childhood," he said. "I knew the Fairfield community was where I wanted to be." He described the place as "a mom-and-pop type shop" that hires locals, from retirees to students. The hours Patch printed in August were summer hours, so check the shop's website before heading over in late October.

CT DEEP lists the South Benson Marina HJM Fishing Pier among its marine shore fishing locations. The town rules prohibit fishing from the docks, ramps and banks around South Benson Marina except in the area posted for fishing. They also prohibit cleaning fish at the marina except at designated fish cleaning stations, and they ban throwing fish entrails into the water.

The rest of Fairfield's public water's edge

The Lower Wharf and South Benson aren't the only places. CT DEEP's coastal access guides, last updated in May 2022, list three more town spots:

1. Jennings Beach is a fishing site with an access pier and fee parking, according to DEEP's site guide.
2. Penfield Beach is listed as a fishing site with fee parking and no access pier, per its DEEP guide. DEEP also lists Penfield Reef as a shore fishing location.
3. Ash Creek Open Space is a fishing site where car-top launching is free and boat ramp access and parking cost a fee, according to DEEP.

If you'd rather fish with company, the Westport Striped Bass Club meets at the Ukraine Club of Southport. Founded in 1962, the club welcomes shore, jetty, surf, kayak and boat anglers.

What DEEP lets you keep this fall

A striper you're allowed to catch isn't always one you're allowed to keep. CT DEEP's species regulations page sets a slot for striped bass. Anglers may keep one fish per day, and only if it's at least 28 inches and shorter than 31 inches. Any bass outside that range goes back in the water right away. The season is open year-round, and inline circle hooks are required when fishing with bait but not with artificial lures. That 44-inch beach striper in the Norwalk report was well over the slot.

For tautog, the same page sets a 16-inch minimum and a fall season of October 10 through November 28, with three fish per angler. That leaves about five weeks of blackfish season from today. This is general information and not legal advice, so confirm the current rules on DEEP's page and the town's posted signs before you keep a fish.

If you're doing the fall math on a home near the water, whether it's a short walk to the Lower Wharf or close to Jennings and Penfield, Fowler & Sakey can tell you what that shoreline access is worth in today's market. Start with a free home valuation, and we're happy to talk tides too.