Chester Reservoir Fishing near Chester, Vermont

• Overview

  In Vermont, Chester Reservoir belongs to Windsor County. The bank is 1,099 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. The closest town, Chester, is 2.5 miles away. After that come Springfield at 7.8 miles and Londonderry at 9.4 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Chester Reservoir

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Windsor County list brook trout, rainbow trout, white sucker and brown trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Chester Reservoir repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 68°F in July and bottom out at 18°F in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It sets the rhythm of the year at Chester Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Chester Reservoir sits 1.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Chester Reservoir before loading the car.