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60-acre lake near Chester. CT DEEP survey water. The lake tops out around 40 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. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Cedar Lake runs 60 acres with 1.3 miles of edge. Its 1.2 shoreline index means few bank features; the contours below do the pattern work. About 28% of the surface sits shallower than 15 ft — that's the weed-and-bait zone. The basin spans about 0.5 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. You'll find it in Lower Connecticut River Valley County. For a second option, Pataconk Reservoir lies 2 mi northwest.
In spring, brook trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 15 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 20 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 7 ft, rated good for spring brook trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | open water | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 5 to 20 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Winter rainbow trout concentrate at Deep basin, a prime-rated deep basin around 40 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Deep basin (40 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Deep basin (40 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Come spring, look for brown trout tight to the bank in 3 to 25 ft. Expect a summer slide to 12 to 40 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 35 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 40 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 12 to 40 ft | night & dawn | Deep basin (40 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Deep basin (40 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Come spring, look for walleye tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 15 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 20 to 40 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 40 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in the evening and early morning. A crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | open water | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (40 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Deep basin (40 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Deep basin (40 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Come spring, look for yellow perch tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 7 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (40 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (40 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: largemouth bass in 2 to 10 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 20 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (7 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Deep basin (40 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Cedar Lake also holds crappie (10 to 25 ft in summer), bluegill (4 to 15 ft in summer), pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer), channel catfish (8 to 25 ft in summer), chain pickerel (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
The chart marks 3 structure features on Cedar Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 40 ft.
Access data: Connecticut DEEP — State Boat Launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 11 | Trout | — | — |
Source: CT DEEP trout-stocking report, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Connecticut waters are set by the Connecticut DEEP — and special regulations can apply to Cedar Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Connecticut fishing regulations →
Cedar Lake is about 40 ft (12 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, walleye, yellow perch, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, channel catfish, chain pickerel on Cedar Lake.
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 40 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in winter. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
For brook trout, 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.
Yes — per CT DEEP trout-stocking report records, Cedar Lake was most recently stocked Mar 11 with trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Cedar Lake is regulated by the Connecticut DEEP. Check the official Connecticut regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Pataconk Reservoir 2 mi · Chapman Pond 4 mi · Messerschmidt Pond 4 mi · Salmon Cove 6 mi · Higganum Reservoir 7 mi · Hamburg Cove 7 mi · Bashan Lake 8 mi · Millers Pond 9 mi · Moodus Reservoir, Upper 9 mi · Moodus Reservoir, Lower 9 mi · Duck Island Roads 10 mi · Uncas Lake 10 mi
See how Cedar Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Connecticut · best walleye lakes in Connecticut · best crappie lakes in Connecticut · best bluegill lakes in Connecticut
More water nearby: Lower Connecticut River Valley County fishing maps (21 charts). Browse all Connecticut fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.