Fishing Report For Bantam Lake, CT

Current Report: Slow

WINTER. The cold of Winter has isolated largemouth around deeper structure, flats, points and creek channels. Water temperatures are currently in the 30's, and bass can be found on the bottom, or suspending from 15 to 22 feet deep, occasionally shallower on warm, sunny days. Often, some of the larger bass will isolate away from schools. They are currently being caught around the main basin drop offs. As ice fishing becomes possible, anglers typically seek other species. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring. Slow presentations with drop shots, jigs, finesse worms, or Ned rigs are often the key to getting bites, just before, during and after, ice fishing.

SPRING. Once water temperatures rise into the low 60's, largemouth will move from deep wintering holes, to shallower water near spawning areas. Anglers report good topwater action from mid Spring through Summer, especially early in the morning, and on cloudy days. Vibrating jigs, crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits typically get bites just away from the shoreline. At this time they are feeding aggressively in about 8 to 15 feet of water, and preparing for the spawn. Once water warms into the mid to high 60's, they will move into 2 to 8 feet of water, and create nests, then lay their eggs. Immediately afterwards, females move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move to slightly deeper water, around 10 to 20 feet deep. Deep-diving crankbaits, vibrating jigs, drop shots, plastic worms, jigs, spoons, and swimbaits catch bass during this period.

SUMMER. Water temperatures will warm considerably in Summer. Bass will feed shallow, early and late in the day, where they are typically caught in 5 to 12 feet of water, on topwater lures, square-bill crankbaits, spinnerbaits and a variety of other lures. During Summer, keep an eye on the thermocline to determine the maximum depth to fish, as there is very little oxygen below the thermocline. Largemouth bass here feed on shad, herring, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, channel edges, and ledges 15 to 22 feet deep. Wacky-rigged stick worms always catch finicky bass when the bite is slow.

FALL. When Fall arrives, bass here will follow schools of baitfish into coves and shallow bays where crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits have been successful in prior years. In early Fall, anglers typically have success in 3 to 15 feet of water, around points and shallow flats leading to deeper water. As deeper water cools, bait and bass move out to ledges, channel edges, points and humps. Here flutter spoons are often the ideal bait in 10 to 20 feet of water. Some of the larger bass will seclude themselves away from the school.

Current Report: Slow

Northern pike are stocked in Bantam Lake to keep the population of sunfish in check. Swimbaits, bright-colored lures and spoons all have been catching nice northerns for many years now. Surface lures often attract big pike to come out of the cover and smash the lures.

WINTER. From December 1st, through the end of February, there is a 36" minimum for keeping pike. Pike remain active in Winter, often congregating in or near remaining weedbeds, especially along the edges. Other structure options include long points, reefs, ledge drop-offs, and rocky humps, ideally nearby deeper water. Look for them in 8 to 15 feet of water before ice over. Ice fishing was good here last winter, and should be again this year. At times, when oxygen is depleted in deeper water, northerns suspend directly under the ice, where maximum oxygen is available. Other times they hold on structure in 10 to 15 feet of water, sometimes deeper.

SPRING. From March 1st through April 30th, fishing for, or harvesting pike is not allowed. May 1st through November 30th, there is a 26" minimum for keeping pike. Once the ice melts, anglers report catching northern pike in the shallows on flashy lures. For many decades the Johnson Spoon has been a deadly bait for northerns, especially when tipped with a white, or bright colored trailer. Jerkbaits, big spinners, swimbaits all catch northerns here. As the water warms, noisy topwater baits like the Whopper Flopper are a good choice. Once water temperatures reach around 45 degrees, they move into even shallower areas with vegetation, to spawn. Ideal depths range from 1 to 6 feet. Big pike stage on points, shallow flats and inside coves. Shallow, weedy areas on the north and south shores are classic spawning grounds. After spawning they linger in the shallow bays for a short period. Once water temperatures rise into the 50's, they move to deeper weedbeds and shallow structures 4 to 12 feet deep, adjacent to even deeper water.

SUMMER. Northern pike scatter all around the lake, rather than gather in groups. This makes them difficult to locate. During the day they are holding shallow around weed beds in 6 to 8 feet of water, or up to 12 feet deep on ledges, reefs, rock piles, islands and channel edges. Some of the larger specimens are suspending in open water, just outside shallow feeding areas. Trolling or drift fishing produces some nice catches, using spoons, big spinners, cut bait, and deep diving crankbaits. Early and late in the day, they move shallow to feed and can be caught around most weedy shorelines, in 4 to 8 feet of water. A good option is the weedbeds off North Bay. Spinnerbaits, noisy topwater lures, and Johnson spoons with curly-tail grubs, catch nice pike shallow when they are shallow.

FALL. As the weather starts turning cold, water temperatures cool fastest in the shallows. This brings schools of shad into shallower water, and northerns follow this food source. They hang around weedbed edges, main-lake points, reefs, and rocky shorelines to ambush prey in 8 to 15 feet of water. Two popular areas are the northeast and southwest shorelines around shallow structure, near drop offs. This is a prime feeding time, as they prepare for winter. It is also a good time to catch a trophy pike.

Current Report: Good

A healthy population of yellow perch reside here, providing a steady food source for bass and pike, plus they provide great fun for anglers. Locals report they are very tasty table fare as well.

WINTER. The cold of winter has driven perch deeper again in search of food and stable water conditions. Mid-depth flats are ideal Winter holding spots. Early this Winter, perch are being caught when they are feeding in weedy areas, in 10 to 20 of water. Fishing for them in Winter is good using minnows, mealworms, maggots, and nightcrawlers. Perch fishing through the ice was very good last Winter, and is expected to be good again this year. As the lake begins to freeze over, they remain deep. These baits continue to work now, while ice fishing, and again once the ice is gone.

SPRING. Perch spawn in Spring when the water temperature warms to the mid 50's and mid 60's. Anglers will begin to catch them in 10 to 18 feet of water using spinners, small spinnerbaits, underspins, minnows, mealworms, maggots, and nightcrawlers. Docks, weed lines, drop offs all attract yellow perch searching for a meal. They spawn in 6 to 10 feet of water. Later in Spring, they migrate back to deeper water to feed.

SUMMER. Fat yellow perch here feed primarily on small fish and invertebrates. Spinners, underspins, small crankbaits, mealworms, nightcrawlers and maggots are catching perch in 10 to 18 feet of water. In early Summer, plus the first and last hours of the day, seek them out in feeding zones, 6 to 12 feet deep. Drop-offs, standing timber, lay-down trees, shallow weed lines, and in areas with submerged vegetation, are key feeding spots.

FALL. Early Fall finds yellow perch feeding in 10 to 12 feet of water. Later in the Fall, they begin migrating toward Winter holding areas, often in the deeper sections, around the edges of weedbeds, drop offs along flats, channel edges, rock piles and humps. In late Fall focus on 14 to 18 feet deep cover. Minnows, spinners, spoons and small jigs are ideal this time of year.