Photo by Ron Sinfelt

The summer heat will start to break over southern New England this month as another fishing season winds down. This is the time of year when bass anglers bask in some comfortable fishing weather while the days are still long enough to enjoy plenty of fishing time, and bass begin to recover from the midsummer slump and begin to cooperate once again.

Bass anglers visiting the following top-rated August lakes and ponds should find plenty of angling pleasure at the other end of the line:

CONNECTICUT
Amos Pond
Bass anglers will enjoy this medium-sized pond in the town of Preston. It is a natural lake that had its water level raised by a small masonry dam. The dam expanded the pond to 112 acres with a maximum depth of 45 feet. Its average depth is 20 feet, but most of the better bass-fishing water is less than 10 feet deep

The lake is fed by outlets from several nearby private ponds and two small brooks. These inflows produce a fertile lake that supports extensive weed growth, including huge lily pad beds. Largemouth bass use these weeds for cover while ambushing their prey and fending off anglers’ temptations.

According to state Department of Environmental Protection fisheries biologists, Amos Lake has an abundant supply of largemouth bass in all age-classes and, more specifically, the population of 14- to 16-inch bass is very healthy. Also, expect to catch pickerel, trout, bluegills and bullheads.

Amos Lake has an extremely dense population of stunted alewives. These silvery baitfish provide a significant portion of the pond’s forage base, so bass anglers should fare well with lures that mimic the alewife. Think small when selecting lures, as many of the alewives are less than 3 inches in length.

Shoreline development is moderate to dense along the northern and eastern shoreline. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection maintains a boat-launching ramp on the western shore. Take Exit 85 from Interstate Route 395 to Route 164 south about 1.5 miles past the Route 165 junction. Turn east onto the marked access road. Boaters face a speed of 8 miles per hour, except between 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from June 15 to the first Sunday after Labor Day.

Gardner Lake
Gardner Lake gives up several trophy-class bass every season. Anglers will also find walleyes, trout, pickerel and catfish throughout the pond, but it’s largemouth and smallmouth bass that draw the most angling attention.

This 487-acre pond is in the towns of Salem, Montville and Bozrah about six miles from the city of Norwich. Like many Connecticut ponds, Gardner Lake is natural in origin, but a dam has increased its size and depth. The maximum depth is 42 feet, which is confined to a small basin near Minnie Island State Park. The lake has an average depth of 14 feet.

Gardner Lake has a well-defined shoal around the lake running about 6 feet deep. This shoal varies from gravel and rock to weedy mud flats, providing loads of fishing options for every angling style. Anglers looking for weeds and largemouth bass should concentrate on the extreme northern end of the lake. Smallmouth bass hunters will find their quarry on the points along the eastern shoreline. Boat docks also provide shady cover for both species.

The forage base in Gardner Lake includes golden shiners, banded killifish and darters. Bullhead fry are plentiful at this time of year.

Crayfish are scattered throughout the pond, and anglers will find excellent water clarity, which often translates into super topwater action.

To keep the bass population healthy, the DEP has instituted special regulations. Anglers may keep two bass per day and the minimum size limit is 16 inches. Also, boaters must adhere to a 6-mile-per-hour speed limit from sunset to 8 a.m.