Fishing at Woodward Reservoir, Windsor County, Vermont

• Overview

  Windsor County, Vermont, is where Woodward Reservoir sits. This is lake country bush country. The water covers some 110 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 1.9 miles keeps the choices simple. On our Windsor County list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Mount Holly, is 8.5 miles away. Mendon is 10 miles away, with Clarendon at 11 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Woodward Reservoir

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Across Windsor County, recorded fish include brook trout, rainbow trout, white sucker, brown trout and longnose sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Woodward Reservoir should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 64°F, while January sits near 15°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and early December closes it again. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Anyone fishing Woodward Reservoir regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Black Pond is 0.9 miles distant. Nothing on Woodward Reservoir should be assumed from this page alone.