Risley Reservoir Fishing Guide, Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut

• Overview

  Risley Reservoir belongs to Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut. The sea is 30 miles distant. About 17 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Manchester sits 3.1 miles from the bank. It is 11 miles to Hartford, the nearest city. Within a short drive: Bolton Notch Pond at about 1.2 miles, Salter Pond after 1.8 miles, Porter Reservoir at about 1.8 miles, Dobsonville Pond after 1.9 miles and Tankerhoosen Lake at about 1.9 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Risley Reservoir

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Records held for Capitol Planning Region cover bluegill, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and chain pickerel. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Take Risley Reservoir a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 25°F in January and 71°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late March. Climate averages put the opening at about late March and the closing near late December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Risley Reservoir fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. The water borders John S. Risley Memorial Park, so reserve rules are likely to apply. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Bolton Notch Pond, 1.2 miles out. Where Risley Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.