Fishing Western Connecticut: Litchfield County Lakes, Rivers, and Reservoirs
Litchfield County is Connecticut's fishing heartland. The Northwest Highlands offer the state's highest-quality wild trout fishing, the Housatonic River provides outstanding smallmouth and trout opportunities, and several large impoundments hold significant bass and trout populations. This is where CT anglers who are serious about quality fishing gravitate. This guide covers the region's best fishing across species — practical information for planning trips rather than a catalog of every body of water.
The Farmington River System
The Farmington River, fed by controlled releases from Hogback Dam, is the foundation of CT's premier trout fishery. The full river system offers several distinct fishing experiences.
**TMA (Trout Management Area)**: The 2-mile catch-and-release, flies/lures-only section below Hogback Dam in New Hartford is CT's finest wild brown trout fishing. Full guide article elsewhere on this site — this is where serious trout anglers focus.
**Below the TMA to Collinsville**: Once you leave the TMA downstream, standard open regulations apply in season. This section receives stocking and holds both stocked and holdover wild fish. More accessible for anglers wanting to keep a meal.
**West Branch Farmington**: The West Branch flows through Norfolk and Barkhamsted, joining the main stem at Riverton. The West Branch holds wild brook trout in its upper sections and provides some of the most scenic small-stream trout fishing in the state. Cold, clear water, forested banks, and native fish — this is what CT wild trout fishing is about.
**Farmington River tributaries**: Mad River, Still River, Salmon Creek, and other Farmington tributaries hold wild brookies in their upper sections. Exploring these on a topographic map and working upstream from known access points often produces uncrowded brook trout fishing.
Housatonic River: World-Class Trout and Smallmouth
The Housatonic River flows through western Litchfield County and provides two distinct fisheries depending on which section you're fishing.
**Upper Housatonic (Canaan to Falls Village)**: One of the most scenic river sections in Connecticut — the river flows through meadows and gorges in the Northwest Corner. This section holds wild brown trout, including some large fish, and is fly-fished extensively in spring. The falls at Falls Village create a natural barrier — fish above the falls are largely undisturbed wild trout.
**Housatonic below Falls Village (Riverton to New Milford)**: This section below the Cornwall Bridge area is actually a federally designated Wild and Scenic River. It holds excellent wild brown trout but also has a PCB contamination history (from the General Electric plant in Pittsfield, MA). Current fishing regulations from CT DEEP include consumption advisories for certain species and fish sizes — check current advisories before keeping any fish from the Housatonic.
**Housatonic smallmouth fishing**: The Housatonic River through Litchfield County holds excellent smallmouth bass in summer. The rocky river bottom and current create ideal smallmouth habitat — tube jigs, inline spinners, and live crayfish produce fish in the 12-18 inch range throughout the summer season. Wading or kayaking access.
Bantam Lake and Litchfield County Lakes
Litchfield County's freshwater lakes offer quality bass, trout, and panfish fishing.
**Bantam Lake (Morris)**: At 948 acres, Bantam is Litchfield County's largest natural lake and one of CT's most productive bass fisheries. Largemouth bass fishing is excellent from spring through fall. The lake has extensive weed growth that holds fish throughout summer. Public boat launch at White Memorial Conservation Center. Trout are also present in the lake's deeper sections.
**Lake McDonough (Barkhamsted/Hartland)**: The Metropolitan District Commission reservoir is open to fishing with a free MDC permit. Excellent largemouth bass, smallmouth bass in rocky sections, and trout in the deeper, colder areas. The MDC maintains good access and the reservoir sees less pressure than public lakes.
**Burr Pond (Torrington)**: Within Burr Pond State Park, this 88-acre lake offers good bass and panfish fishing with public access. Family-friendly with accessible shore fishing.
Northwest Corner Wild Trout Waters
The extreme northwest corner of Connecticut — Norfolk, Canaan, Salisbury, and Sharon townships — contains the state's highest concentration of wild brook trout habitat.
**Still River and tributaries**: The Still River system drains the Canaan Mountain area and holds wild brook trout in its upper reaches. The river is small and demands ultralight gear and careful approach. Worth exploring with a topo map and a willingness to wade brushy headwater sections.
**Salmon Creek (Salisbury/North Canaan)**: A beautiful small stream with wild brookies in the upper sections and stocked trout below. One of CT's most consistently productive small trout streams.
**Blackberry River (Norfolk/Canaan)**: A larger tributary of the Housatonic, the Blackberry River receives stocking in spring and holds wild fish in its upper reaches. Accessible at multiple points through Norfolk.
**Great Falls (Housatonic River, Falls Village)**: The Great Falls section of the Housatonic through Falls Village is some of the most dramatic river scenery in Connecticut. Wild brown trout in the pools below the falls respond to large streamers and nymphs. The access road alongside the river provides walk-in access to multiple pool sections.
Lake Candlewood: Litchfield County's Largest Lake
Lake Candlewood, spanning New Milford, Sherman, Brookfield, and New Fairfield, is Connecticut's largest lake at 8.4 square miles and provides quality fishing across multiple species.
**Largemouth bass**: Candlewood is one of CT's premier bass lakes with quality fish throughout. The large rocky points, submerged timber (the lake was flooded over farmland in 1928), and extensive shoreline structure hold largemouth throughout the season. Tournament fishing is active on Candlewood — find tournament reports for current hot spots and techniques.
**Smallmouth bass**: The rocky substrate and clear water in Candlewood's deeper areas support a strong smallmouth population. Rocky points and boulder structure in 10-20 feet of water during summer holds quality smallmouth.
**Trout**: Candlewood receives trout stocking and holds fish particularly in the deeper sections of the northern portion of the lake. Trolling with spinners or live bait near thermoclines (typically 20-30 feet in summer) produces trout.
**Access**: Multiple boat launches exist around the lake. Public shore access is limited but available at several points. The town beaches have limited fishing access during summer; shoulder-season fishing is more accessible from shore.
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