Fishing at North Hartland Reservoir, Windsor County, Vermont

• Overview

  Vermont holds North Hartland Reservoir, in Windsor County. Land around it is rolling bush. With some 168 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Some 5.2 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It ranks high for size among our Windsor County listings. Hartford sits 4 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Manchester, 63 miles distant. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on North Hartland Reservoir

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Records held for Windsor County cover brook trout, rainbow trout, white sucker, brown trout and longnose sucker. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. North Hartland Reservoir fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 69°F at the top of summer and 18°F at the bottom of winter. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. North Hartland Reservoir runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Deweys Pond, 2.4 miles out. What applies at North Hartland Reservoir may have changed since it was mapped.