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798-acre lake near Barkhamsted. CT DEEP survey water. The lake tops out around 50 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.
The outline encloses 798 acres, worked by 5.2 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.3 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Roughly 53% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 2.3 mi long by 0.8 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Northwest Hills County. Farmington River sits 4 mi south — the closest neighbouring chart.
When the water first warms, brook trout slide up into 2 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 3 to 20 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Secondary point: a point around 12 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (12 ft) | Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (36 ft) | Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm |
| Fall | 2 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (12 ft) | Small spoon (orange), Spinner |
| Winter | 3 to 20 ft | dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic |
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 5 to 20 ft. Expect a summer slide to 8 to 30 ft, then a winter hold in 8 to 40 ft. Start at Break off the point. It's a drop-off holding about 36 ft of water and rates prime come winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (36 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Start shallow in spring: brown trout sit in 3 to 25 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 15 to 50 ft; cold water stacks them in 5 to 35 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 36 ft range, prime in summer. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. Throw a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | night & dawn | Break off the point (36 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Break off the point (36 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 10 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Plan around early morning in the warm months. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Shallow feeding flat (17 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (36 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (36 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Spring smallmouth bass on McDonough Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 20 to 45 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 20 ft that grades prime for fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Secondary point (12 ft) | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Break off the point (36 ft) | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Summer is an 8 to 20 ft game here, winter a 15 to 35 ft one. The chart's best answer is Shallow bay flat — weed flat, 6 ft, prime for spring. Best bite is 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 | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (20 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Secondary point (12 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (36 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
McDonough Lake also holds rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer), 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), chain pickerel (3 to 15 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
McDonough Lake carries 7 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 46 ft down.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15 | 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 McDonough Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Connecticut fishing regulations →
McDonough Lake is about 50 ft (15 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, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, rock bass, crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, chain pickerel on McDonough Lake.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
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, McDonough Lake was most recently stocked Apr 15 with trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on McDonough 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.
Farmington River 4 mi · West Hill Pond 4 mi · Highland Lake 7 mi · Burr Pond 7 mi · West Branch Reservoir 8 mi · Lost Pond 8 mi · Twin Lakes North 9 mi · Howells Pond 9 mi · Twin Lakes South 9 mi · Park Pond 10 mi · Winchester Lake 10 mi · Colebrook River Reservoir 10 mi, CT/MA
See how McDonough Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Connecticut · best smallmouth bass lakes in Connecticut · best crappie lakes in Connecticut · best bluegill lakes in Connecticut
More water nearby: Northwest Hills County fishing maps (28 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.