Bantam Lake in Northwest Hills Planning Region: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut, sits Bantam Lake. The sea is 32 miles distant. This is sizeable water at about 954 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. Around 9.1 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. It ranks high for size among our Northwest Hills Planning Region listings. You are 3.4 miles from Litchfield. Waterbury is the closest city, 14 miles away. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Bantam Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Northwest Hills Planning Region cover bluegill, brown trout, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and black crappie. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Fish Bantam Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 70°F in July and bottom out at 23°F in January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually goes in late March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Climate figures give an open season running late March to late December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Bantam Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data records a boat ramp half a mile out. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. There is a pier recorded roughly half a mile away. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Ask locally about Bantam Lake if anything is unclear.