Gillette Reservoir Fishing in Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut

• Overview

  The Northwest Hills Planning Region end of Connecticut holds Gillette Reservoir. The surface lies 1,391 feet up. Small at around 11 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Compared with other Connecticut water on our list, it sits high. Winchester Center is the closest town at 4.1 miles. Further out sit West Torrington (6.8 miles) and Winsted (8.1 miles). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Gillette Reservoir

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Public occurrence data for Northwest Hills Planning Region names bluegill, brown trout, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and black crappie. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Gillette Reservoir where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 68°F and January at 21°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about mid December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Gillette Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. Richard Croft Mem. Preserve (Ct Audubon Society) takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try North Pond, 0.9 miles away. Treat Gillette Reservoir as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.