Within a 75-minute drive of Bridgeport there are 10 fishing waters in our guide: 7 reservoirs, 2 lakes and 1 bay or estuary. The mix is 9 freshwater and 1 salt or brackish water. Across these waters, 25 fish species are on record.
Long Island Sound is 2 minutes from Bridgeport
The closest water to Bridgeport is Long Island Sound, a estuary, 2 min (0.7 mi) away by road.
Next by drive time:
- Lake Zoar (reservoir) — 24 min (15.8 mi)
- Lake Lillinonah (reservoir) — 34 min (22.9 mi)
- Lake Saltonstall (reservoir) — 36 min (24.2 mi)
Launching near Bridgeport: 29 ramps
Around Bridgeport you will find 29 boat ramps, 21 fishing piers and 48 shore-fishing spots on the waters in this guide. The boat ramp closest to the city center is Newfield Avenue Boat Ramp on Long Island Sound, about 1.2 mi in a straight line. Without a boat, start at Pleasure Beach Fishing Pier on Long Island Sound, the nearest pier — about 1.4 mi from the center.
25 fish species around Bridgeport
Bluegill turns up in more of these waters than any other fish: 9 of 10. Next come Brown Trout (5), Smallmouth Bass (4), Walleye (4) and Rock Bass (4).
The nearest water for each of the leading species:
- Bluegill, Smallmouth Bass and Walleye: Lake Zoar, 24 min (15.8 mi)
- Brown Trout: Lake Saltonstall, 36 min (24.2 mi)
- Rock Bass: Lake Lillinonah, 34 min (22.9 mi)
Leading the list: Long Island Sound
These 3 waters lead our list for Bridgeport, ranked by distance, depth data, fish records and access:
- Long Island Sound (estuary): 801,802 acres, 9 fish species on record, max depth 383 ft (surveyed) and 354 ramps.
- Lake Zoar (reservoir): 961 acres, 6 fish species on record, max depth 64 ft (surveyed), 4 ramps and 5,310 fish stocked.
- Lake Lillinonah (reservoir): 1,597 acres, 7 fish species on record, max depth 80 ft (surveyed), 8 ramps and 700 fish stocked.
Long Island Sound goes down to 383 ft
The deepest water in this guide is Long Island Sound: 383 ft at its deepest point (surveyed). Other deep spots are Lake Saltonstall (110 ft), Lake Lillinonah (80 ft) and Lake Candlewood (80 ft). Maximum depths are known for all 10 waters.
9 stocked waters near Bridgeport
Stocking records cover 9 of these waters; the largest totals are Bantam Lake (9,529 fish), Highland Lake (9,300 fish) and Lake Winchester (9,200 fish).
Camping within reach of Bridgeport
You can camp next to the water: 4 campgrounds are within reach of Bridgeport. The closest are Wildwood State Park Campground (25.2 mi, by Long Island Sound), Southwestern Ct. Girl Scouts Council-Camp Topside (27.2 mi, by Lake Candlewood) and Eastern Long Island Kampground (42.3 mi, by Long Island Sound).
