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Bantam Lake

Bantam Lake is a lake in Connecticut, near Northwest Hills County.

Live lake forecast

Bantam Lake Fishing Weather

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Fish species in Bantam Lake

Official stocking history

Stocking records show that the following fish or strains were stocked here. A historical stocking does not by itself prove that a self-sustaining population remains today.

Bantam is a good place to bring a pike outfit and a lighter rod for perch. It has plenty of shallow water for a lake this size, with weed beds that give predators somewhere to feed. You don't need to spend the whole trip searching the deepest hole.

Lake facts

  • Lake size: About 947 acres
  • Fish to target: Northern pike, largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, crappie and white perch
  • Depth: Maximum about 25 feet; mean about 14 feet

Where to fish

Follow the outside weed edge with a spinnerbait or spoon for pike. A short wire leader helps with bite-offs. For bass, slow down with a weedless worm around pockets and points in the vegetation. Small jigs along the same edge let you switch to perch or crappie when bigger fish aren't cooperating.

Getting on the water

The state boat launch is at 16 Palmer Road in Morris, off Route 209. Use that public access rather than the private roads and docks around the lake. On a breezy day, pick a shoreline you can fish without drifting straight into the weeds.

A few things to know

Bantam has its own pike harvest rules, including a spring closure for keeping pike. Read those before putting one in the livewell. A paddle along a sheltered shore is another way to enjoy the lake when you want a break from casting.

Check the evidence

Sources and what they establish

Source dates describe the evidence, not a live catch forecast. Check the managing authority before planning access or keeping fish.

  • Banded Killifish — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Black Crappie — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Bluegill — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Brown Bullhead — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Brown Trout — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Chain Pickerel — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Channel Catfish — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Common Carp — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Golden Shiner — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Largemouth Bass — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Northern Pike — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Longear Sunfish — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Steelhead — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Redbreast Sunfish — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Rock Bass — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Smallmouth Bass — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Spottail Shiner — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Tench — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Tessellated Darter — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • White Perch — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • White Sucker — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

  • Yellow Perch — supporting source

    Connecticut DEEP — Freshwater Fish Community Data

    The linked source supports this fish’s presence or stocking in this water.

    Source checked:

    This is not a record catch or a measure of how many fish are there today. The source may describe an earlier period.

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