Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at West Branch Reservoir
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing West Branch Reservoir: what the data says
252-acre reservoir near Hartland. CT DEEP survey water. The lake tops out around 90 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at West Branch Reservoir
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at West Branch Reservoir
Spring yellow perch on West Branch Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 13 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in summer. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Chain Pickerel fishing at West Branch Reservoir
In spring, chain pickerel run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Back-bay flat: a weed flat around 14 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Bluegill fishing at West Branch Reservoir
Spring bluegill on West Branch 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. Back-bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 14 ft, rated prime for summer bluegill. 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 | 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 |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at West Branch Reservoir
Spring smallmouth bass on West Branch Reservoir hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 45 ft. The spot to know is Main-lake point, a point in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for smallmouth bass in fall. Best bite is 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 | 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 |
White Perch fishing at West Branch Reservoir
Start shallow in spring: white perch sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 15 to 40 ft, and winter fish settle into 20 to 50 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow feeding flat: a feeding flat around 17 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is early morning. A small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 15 to 40 ft | dawn | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 15 to 45 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 20 to 50 ft | dusk | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
West Branch Reservoir also holds brown trout (25 to 60 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 89 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 23 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 20 ft
- Shallow feeding flat: feeding flat, around 17 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 14 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 13 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 9 ft
Common questions
How deep is West Branch Reservoir?
West Branch Reservoir is about 90 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 West Branch Reservoir?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, brown trout, chain pickerel, white perch on West Branch Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on West Branch Reservoir?
Main-lake point is the top-rated area: a point in about 9 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 West Branch Reservoir?
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
Colebrook River Reservoir · Howells Pond · Lost Pond · Highland Lake · West Hill Pond · McDonough Lake
See how West Branch Reservoir 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.