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Lake Candlewood

Lake Candlewood is a reservoir in Connecticut, near Western Connecticut County.

Live lake forecast

Lake Candlewood Fishing Weather

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Fish species in Lake Candlewood

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.

Candlewood is big enough that picking a section helps more than picking one magic lure. Rocky banks and points are natural places to start for smallmouth. Largemouth and panfish give you other options around sheltered cover, while trout anglers have much deeper water to work with.

Lake facts

  • Lake size: DEEP lists about 5,064 acres
  • Fish to target: Smallmouth and largemouth bass, trout, yellow perch, white perch and crappie
  • Depth: Maximum about 85 feet; average about 29 feet

Where to fish

Fish a tube or compact jig along a rocky point, then check where that point falls into deeper water. For panfish, use a small jig and move when you find only tiny fish. The lake reaches about 85 feet, but depth alone won't put you on trout. Temperature and the depth of feeding fish matter too.

Getting on the water

Squantz Cove's state launch on Old Bogus Road in New Fairfield serves Candlewood Lake. It is not the separate Squantz Pond launch. Keep the cove's slow-no-wake rules in mind, and use public access rather than neighborhood docks or private beaches.

A few things to know

A deep drawdown is scheduled after November 1, 2026, as weather permits, with normal water levels expected before Memorial Day 2027. Check the current lake and launch notices before a late-fall or winter trip. Exposed shoreline can look very different from the lake you fished in summer.

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.

  • Alewife — 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.

  • 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 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.

  • 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.

  • Bluntnose Minnow — 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.

  • Brook 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.

  • 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.

  • Common 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.

  • Cutlip Minnow — 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.

  • Fallfish — 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.

  • Grass 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.

  • Green 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Walleye — 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 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.

  • 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.

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