Carlton Reservoir, Vermont: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Carlton Reservoir is a Windsor County water, in Vermont. The setting is lake country bush on every side. Small enough that any disturbance crosses the whole surface. It is a small entry by Windsor County standards. The closest town, Hartford, is 11 miles away. Further out sit Windsor (11 miles) and White River Junction (12 miles). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Carlton Reservoir

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name brook trout, rainbow trout, white sucker, brown trout and longnose sucker. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Carlton Reservoir that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 67°F and January reads 17°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. The open-water window runs from around early April to about early December in an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Carlton Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Cox Reservoir sits 1.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Carlton Reservoir before loading the car.