Best Bass Fishing In Connecticut: 5 Places To Catch A Giant Fish

Connecticut may not register as a top fishing destination, but it is home to excellent fishing, and it's not just bass. Trophy crappie, perch, pike, trout, carp, catfish, and more can all be found in the third smallest state in America.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro-Paul Mueller of Naugatuck spends his time when not on tour guiding for multiple different species in his home state and shared some insight on the best places to fish in Connecticut.

1) Candlewood Lake

This manmade lake is 5,400 acres and is considered the best bass fishery in the state and one of the best in the entire country. It was flooded over old towns and home foundations, bridges, stumps, and you can find other structure. Add in a nice mixture of milfoil and other grasses and you have a very fertile lake that is perfect for fishing. In addition to the grass and structure, anglers will find a nice bottom composition with plenty of gravel, making it a quality lake throughout.

The lake gets plenty of pressure from the tournament crowd and still produces, with a four-pound average of either smallmouth or largemouth required to win most events. Smallmouth up to six pounds are possible here and all species are very healthy. In addition to the excellent bass fishing, crappie, and both yellow and white perch grow to enormous sizes.

2) Lake Lillinonah

The second-largest fishery in the state, Lillinonah, is a manmade lake created in 1955 with the damming of the Housatonic and Shepaug rivers. It's a deep lake and may not be on par with Candlewood for numbers of fish, but it makes up for it with some giant bass.

In addition to bass, it has great crappie and perch fishing and the toothy combo of both northern pike and tiger muskie. The state record northern pike is 29 pounds and is a tie with two fish, with one of the fish coming from Lillinonah.

3) Connecticut River

This tidal fishery is a unique one and runs the entire length of the state. The upper reaches are treacherous to navigate and perfect for a jet boat. This section of the river is dominated by smallmouth bass and they get big, with six-pound fish a real possibility.

The lower sections of the river are influenced much more by the tides and a mixed bag, with many different fish species possible in a given day. The backwaters are home to a healthy population of largemouth, crappie, and perch. It's also an excellent fishery for channel catfish, carp, pike, and stripers. The annual spring striper run brings giant fish up to 50-pounds swimming up the river to feed on herring and shad.

4) Highland Lake

Credit: Fishidy

This small lake is in the northwest corner of the state and home to a quality bass fishery and other opportunities. The natural lake stretches down to sixty feet deep and is home to excellent crappie and trout fishing.

The lake is stocked with brown trout and some of them hold over to the next season and get very big. The ancillary effect is giant largemouth bass that can easily reach six and seven pounds from feeding on the stocked trout.

5) Lake Waramaug

Another smaller fishery, Lake Waramaug, is located north of Danbury and home to a solid population of smallmouth with largemouth reaching eight pounds. The natural lake is also home to an excellent fishery for perch and crappie.