Rizzo Pond Fishing in Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut

• Overview

  Look for Rizzo Pond in Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut. The setting is mixed forest on every side. Surface area runs to about 8 acres — small enough to read in one session. It sits higher than most water we list in Connecticut. Nearest town is New Hartford Center, 2.9 miles off. The big place round here is Hartford, 19 miles distant. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Rizzo Pond

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. County-wide records name bluegill, brown trout, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Rizzo Pond is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 70°F, the coldest about 23°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late March. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late March until roughly late December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Rizzo Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Picnic facilities are recorded some half a mile out. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Reserve land runs up to the bank here, so read the notices. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, West Hill Pond is 1.1 miles distant. Where Rizzo Pond is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.