Position
41°30.4′N 72°13.3′W
Gardner Lake is a 529-acre lake where Salem, Montville and Bozrah meet. It was one of the first two lakes DEEP picked for walleye in 1993, and it's still stocked every fall. It also has smallmouth and largemouth bass, pickerel, perch and crappie, and DEEP adds trout in the fall.
When to fish
- Year-round: walleye, kept going by fall fingerling stockings. DEEP has given trophy walleye awards for fish from every lake in the program.
- Fall: DEEP stocks trout (the lake is on the fall 2026 list). Trout fishing is catch and release from March 1 until opening day in April.
Getting there
The state launch is at 126 Old Colchester Road in Salem, east off Route 354 just north of Route 82, with a concrete dock. A lower speed limit applies from sunset to 8 a.m., and the water between Minnie Island and the eastern shore is slow-no-wake. Hydrilla, an invasive weed, was recently found in the lake, so clean your boat and trailer. Gardner is a Bass Management Lake and a Walleye Lake with special limits; check the Connecticut Freshwater Fishing Guide.
From the water
Latest reports
No reports yet
No fishing reports have been published for Gardner Lake yet.
Field guide
What you can catch
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