Lake Mc Donough Fishing in Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut

• Overview

  This water sits in Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut. Elevation runs to 417 feet. At 386 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The margin runs to about 4.7 miles in total. It ranks high for size among our Northwest Hills Planning Region listings. Nearest place of any size is New Hartford Center, 1.4 miles away. It is 17 miles to Hartford, the nearest city. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Lake Mc Donough

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. County-wide records name bluegill, brown trout, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Lake Mc Donough the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 70°F in July and bottoms out near 24°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late March. Break-up sits around late March on average, with the water closing again about late December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. That shapes the year on Lake Mc Donough.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. This sits inside The Village, so read the reserve notices first. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Atwood Swamp at 3.9 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Lake Mc Donough may have changed since it was mapped.