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Freshwater fishing near Hartford
Hartford, CTBuilt from our data

Freshwater fishing near Hartford

10 stops10 watersUpdated Nov 6

10 freshwater spots within 75 minutes of Hartford, each with a full TripsQuick page.

The closest by road is Wangumbaug Lake, 29 minutes away.

Lakes near Hartford

1. Wangumbaug Lake

Wangumbaug Lake is a 29-minute drive from downtown Hartford. Launch at Coventry Lake Boat Launch, the public ramp on Wangumbaug Lake closest to downtown (≈ 18.7 mi). Public access on Wangumbaug Lake: 2 boat ramps. Surveyed depths reach 36 ft. Recorded here: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, and Walleye.

Wangumbaug Lake129 min · 20.8 mi
Lake

Wangumbaug Lake

Capitol

Coventry Lake Boat Launch4

max 36 ft · surveyed

Water page

2. Mansfield Hollow Lake

Mansfield Hollow Lake is a 41-minute drive from downtown Hartford. Launch at Mansfield Hollow Dam Boat Launch, the public ramp on Mansfield Hollow Lake closest to downtown (≈ 25.7 mi). Public access on Mansfield Hollow Lake: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 21 ft. Recorded here: Bluegill, Northern Pike, Banded Killifish, and Pumpkinseed.

Mansfield Hollow Lake241 min · 30 mi
Lake

Mansfield Hollow Lake

Capitol

Mansfield Hollow Dam Boat Launch4

max 21 ft · surveyed

Water page

3. Gardner Lake

Gardner Lake is a 40-minute drive from downtown Hartford. Launch at Gardner Lake Boat Launch, the public ramp on Gardner Lake closest to downtown (≈ 29.5 mi). Public access on Gardner Lake: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 36 ft. Recorded here: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, and Walleye.

Gardner Lake540 min · 31.8 mi
Lake

Gardner Lake

Southeastern Connecticut

Gardner Lake Boat Launch4

max 36 ft · surveyed

Water page

4. Middle Pond

Middle Pond is a 35-minute drive from downtown Hartford. Launch at Congamond Lakes (South Ramp), the public ramp on Middle Pond closest to downtown (≈ 18.3 mi). Public access on Middle Pond: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 40 ft. Recorded here: Rock Bass, Bluegill, Rainbow Trout, and Brown Trout.

Middle Pond635 min · 21.8 mi
Lake

Middle Pond

Hampden

Congamond Lakes (South Ramp)4

max 40 ft · surveyed

Water page

5. Bantam Lake

Bantam Lake is a 52-minute drive from downtown Hartford. Launch at Bantam Lake Boat Launch, the public ramp on Bantam Lake closest to downtown (≈ 29.2 mi). Public access on Bantam Lake: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 24 ft. Recorded here: Black Crappie, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Bluegill.

Bantam Lake752 min · 34.4 mi
Lake

Bantam Lake

Northwest Hills

Bantam Lake Boat Launch5

max 24 ft · surveyed

Water page

Reservoirs near Hartford

6. Lake Zoar

Lake Zoar is a 53-minute drive from downtown Hartford. Launch at Lake Zoar Boat Launch, the public ramp on Lake Zoar closest to downtown (≈ 37.3 mi). Public access on Lake Zoar: 2 boat ramps. Surveyed depths reach 64 ft. Recorded here: Smallmouth Bass, Common Carp, Channel Catfish, and Brook Silverside.

Lake Zoar353 min · 44 mi
Reservoir

Lake Zoar

Western Connecticut

Lake Zoar Boat Launch6

max 64 ft · surveyed

Water page

7. Mashapaug Pond

Mashapaug Pond is a 44-minute drive from downtown Hartford. Launch at Mashapaug Lake Boat Launch, the public ramp on Mashapaug Pond closest to downtown (≈ 32.5 mi). Public access on Mashapaug Pond: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 35 ft. Recorded here: Bluegill, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Walleye.

Mashapaug Pond444 min · 35.5 mi
Reservoir

Mashapaug Pond

Northeastern Connecticut

Mashapaug Lake Boat Launch4

max 35 ft · surveyed

Water page

8. Rogers Lake

Rogers Lake is a 54-minute drive from downtown Hartford. Launch at Rogers Lake Boat Launch, the public ramp on Rogers Lake closest to downtown (≈ 34.1 mi). Public access on Rogers Lake: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 60 ft. Recorded here: Walleye, Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Brown Trout.

Rogers Lake854 min · 45.5 mi
Reservoir

Rogers Lake

Lower Connecticut River Valley

Rogers Lake Boat Launch6

max 60 ft · surveyed

Water page

9. Highland Lake

Highland Lake is a 43-minute drive from downtown Hartford. Launch at Highland Lake Boat Launch, the public ramp on Highland Lake closest to downtown (≈ 23.8 mi). Public access on Highland Lake: 1 boat ramp. Surveyed depths reach 60 ft. Recorded here: Bluegill, Rock Bass, Brown Trout, and Rainbow Trout.

Highland Lake943 min · 27 mi
Reservoir

Highland Lake

Northwest Hills

Highland Lake Boat Launch4

max 60 ft · surveyed

Water page

10. Lake Candlewood

Lake Candlewood is a 67-minute drive from downtown Hartford. Launch at Candlewood Lake (Squantz Cove) Boat Launch, the public ramp on Lake Candlewood closest to downtown (≈ 44.8 mi). Public access on Lake Candlewood: 3 boat ramps. Surveyed depths reach 80 ft. Recorded here: Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, and Bluegill.

Lake Candlewood1067 min · 56.2 mi
Reservoir

Lake Candlewood

Western Connecticut

Candlewood Lake (Squantz Cove) Boat Launch8

max 80 ft · surveyed

Water page

When the fish bite here

By our bite calendar, Rainbow Trout is at peak around Hartford in November.

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More fishing guides near Hartford

Where this guide comes from

Every sentence here is assembled from the data on the Hartford fishing page: road drive times where a route was built (≈ marks straight-line distances), access points from state registries, the species recorded in each water and our bite calendar, adjusted for latitude. Nothing is written by hand or generated by AI.

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Know the water and the fish before you drive out.

Depth surveys, stocking records and water samples, straight from the public registries that hold them — brought together for one question: is it worth the drive?

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