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Fishing Waterbury Reservoir: what the data says
869-acre reservoir near Vermont. The lake tops out around 100 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
Bluegill fishing at Waterbury Reservoir
Spring bluegill on Waterbury Reservoir hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Brown Bullhead fishing at Waterbury Reservoir
Spring brown bullhead on Waterbury Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish settle into 10 to 25 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring brown bullhead. Best bite is after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dusk & night | |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday |
Brown Trout fishing at Waterbury Reservoir
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 25 to 60 ft, and winter fish settle into 5 to 35 ft. Little River inflow is the standout, a inflow / creek mouth at roughly 8 ft, rated prime for spring brown trout. Best bite is after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Crappie fishing at Waterbury Reservoir
Spring crappie on Waterbury Reservoir hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 10 to 25 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 10 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Waterbury Reservoir
In spring, smallmouth bass run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 25 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 45 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Waterbury Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Little River inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Waterbury Reservoir also holds yellow perch (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 85 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 45 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 25 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 25 ft
- Little River inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Creek inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Dock / pier line: dock line, around 0 ft
Common questions
How deep is Waterbury Reservoir?
Waterbury Reservoir is about 100 ft (30 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Waterbury Reservoir?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch, brown trout, brown bullhead on Waterbury Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Waterbury Reservoir?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Waterbury Reservoir?
For bluegill, 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
Wrightsville Reservoir · Curtis Pond · Lake Elmore · Berlin Pond · Forest Lake · Green River Reservoir
See how Waterbury Reservoir stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Vermont · best crappie lakes in Vermont · best bluegill lakes in Vermont · best rainbow trout lakes in Vermont
Browse all Vermont fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.