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Fishing Bolton Lake, Upper: what the data says
24-acre lake near Vernon. The lake tops out around 6 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Bolton Lake, Upper
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for fall largemouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Chain Pickerel fishing at Bolton Lake, Upper
In spring, chain pickerel run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 1 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for fall chain pickerel. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 1 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Bolton Lake, Upper
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 5 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Bluegill fishing at Bolton Lake, Upper
Spring bluegill on Bolton Lake, Upper hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Bolton Lake, Upper
Spring smallmouth bass on Bolton Lake, Upper hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
White Perch fishing at Bolton Lake, Upper
Spring white perch on Bolton Lake, Upper hold shallow, usually 2 to 6 ft. Summer fish stay in 2 to 6 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 6 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 5 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 2 to 6 ft | dawn | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 6 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 2 to 6 ft | dusk | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 5 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 3 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 2 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bolton Lake, Upper?
Bolton Lake, Upper is about 6 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Bolton Lake, Upper?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, chain pickerel, white perch on Bolton Lake, Upper.
Where is the best fishing spot on Bolton Lake, Upper?
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bolton Lake, Upper?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Bolton Lake, Middle · Bolton Lake, Lower · Bolton Notch Pond · Shenipsit Lake · Coventry Lake · Jurovaty Pond
See how Bolton Lake, Upper stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Connecticut · best smallmouth bass lakes in Connecticut · best bluegill lakes in Connecticut · best yellow perch lakes in Connecticut
Browse all Connecticut fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.