Colebrook River Lake is a reservoir in Connecticut, near Northwest Hills County.
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.
Colebrook River Lake covers 826 acres in the Northwest Hills region. A dependable maximum-depth figure was not found for Colebrook River Lake, so it should not be guessed from a similarly named water.
Colebrook River Lake is an 826-acre flood-control reservoir with smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie, perch, catfish and a mixed trout fishery. Changing pool levels can make yesterday’s shoreline pattern temporary.
The old West Branch Farmington River route is the main organizing feature. Points, tributary mouths and flooded flats connect to that channel, while changing water levels can move the useful edge up or down the bank.
The reported fish list includes brown trout, while brook and rainbow trout are listed as stocked. Connecticut also manages Colebrook as a Bass Management Lake, giving its smallmouth and largemouth population extra importance.
Fish reported from Colebrook River Lake include black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, brown trout, chain pickerel, channel catfish, common carp, common shiner, fallfish, golden shiner, largemouth bass, longear sunfish, northern pike, rainbow smelt, redbreast sunfish, rock bass, smallmouth bass, spottail shiner, tessellated darter, white catfish, white sucker, and yellow perch. Brook trout and rainbow trout are listed separately as stocked in Colebrook River Lake. The stocking entry is a management record for Colebrook River Lake, not a promise that those fish will be present at every spot or on every trip.
Low light favors a topwater or spinnerbait for Colebrook River Lake largemouth; brighter conditions call for a slower presentation beside cover. For smallmouth bass on Colebrook River Lake, keep a bottom-contact bait ready for points and channel edges.
Slow vertical presentations around wood and suspended cover are dependable for Colebrook River Lake crappie. Bluegill and other sunfish in Colebrook River Lake take worms, crickets and tiny jigs along shade and vegetation. Keep a small jig, minnow or worm close to the bottom when perch are the target on Colebrook River Lake.
Use a spoon or flashy swimbait along the weed edge when targeting Colebrook River Lake northern pike. A spoon or compact swimbait worked beside weeds is a practical chain pickerel choice on Colebrook River Lake.
A simple bottom rig with cut bait or prepared bait is a practical channel catfish setup on Colebrook River Lake. Use a nightcrawler on a light bottom rig for Colebrook River Lake bullheads, especially in quiet water after sunset. Common carp in Colebrook River Lake can be targeted with corn or dough bait on a simple bottom rig.
For rainbow trout, brown trout, and brook trout in Colebrook River Lake, use a small spoon, inline spinner, trout magnet or natural bait on light line. Stocked trout may begin near release areas before spreading toward cooler or deeper water in Colebrook River Lake.
Colebrook River Lake is too large to fish as one uniform body. At Colebrook River Lake in the Northwest Hills region, divide it into upper, middle and lower sections, then stay with the zone showing forage and usable cover. At Colebrook River Lake in the Northwest Hills region, wind direction can make those sections fish differently on the same day.
Early spring on Colebrook River Lake calls for a slow presentation near the first break outside protected water. At midday in summer, Colebrook River Lake anglers should slow down beside shade, weeds or a nearby depth change. Fall on Colebrook River Lake is a good time for small crankbaits and swimbaits around moving forage.
Begin on a point that reaches the old river channel. Drag a tube for smallmouth, work a spoon beside vegetation for pike and place a small jig beside wood for crappie. For trout, follow temperature and current rather than the visible bank.
A medium spinning rod with 8- to 10-pound line handles jigs, small crankbaits and live-bait rigs on Colebrook River Lake. Add stout tackle, leader material, long pliers and a large net for pike-family fish at Colebrook River Lake.
Flood-control operations can change the pool, moving fish and cover to a different elevation.
The old West Branch Farmington River channel connects points, flats and tributary mouths.
Brown trout are in the reported fish community, while brook and rainbow trout are identified separately as stocked fish.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.