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Lake Zoar Fishing Report

Updated Mon, Nov 9, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Lake Zoar: a 909-acre Housatonic River impoundment between Shepaug and Stevenson dams where DEEP stocks walleye.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~44 F est.
Air / High
44 / 56 F
Wind
SSE 2 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Monday
9
November 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Lake Zoar fishes cold and honest: earn your bites in the deep stuff. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 2 mph, rising pressure near 1007 hPa and a high of 56. Water sits around 44 F for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:17 PM-1:17 AM and 10:53 AM-12:53 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeGood

Spawning runs begin soon after ice-out in the high 30s to mid 40s Β°F; before that, slow presentations with live bait in deep, low-current wintering areas and below dams.

Yellow perchGood

Ice season. Perch stay active under the ice in both shallow and deeper water, so small jigs or spoons tipped with live bait over known winter areas are the usual approach.

CrappieGood

Bites slow; a minnow or small jig fished slowly near deeper cover is the usual approach, and through the ice where lakes freeze.

Smallmouth bassFair

Fish hold in slower, deeper water; fish slowly and expect fewer bites until spring warming.

Largemouth bassFair

Below about 50Β°F feeding slows sharply, Iowa DNR notes; use small, slow baits near deep cover and fish the warmest part of the day.

Tomorrow: Similar at 59 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Tue, Nov 10, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Connecticut requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $28.00 for residents. What a Connecticut licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing walleye here? Check the size and bag limits with CT DEEP before you keep anything. The season dates for Connecticut, read off the agency, are on the Connecticut seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovNov, ~44 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp44 F
High / Low56 / 40 F
WindSSE 2-5 mph
Pressure1006.8 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 10%
Sunrise / Sunset06:34 / 16:38
MoonNew Moon, 0%
Water temp (seasonal)~44 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Which day to fish Lake Zoar this week

The best day on Lake Zoar this week looks like Saturday Nov 14, at 4 out of 5, against 2 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Nov 14 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Nov 9 β€” Tough

Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Solunar majors
11:17 PM-1:17 AM and 10:53 AM-12:53 PM
Minor period
6:45 AM-7:45 AM
Sun
06:34 to 16:38
Moon
New Moon, 0% lit
Sky and wind
Showers, 14 mph
Rain chance
10%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Zoar: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spawning runs begin soon after ice-out in the high 30s to mid 40s Β°F; before that, slow presentations with live bait in deep, low-current wintering areas and below dams.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Fish hold in slower, deeper water; fish slowly and expect fewer bites until spring warming.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Ice season. Perch stay active under the ice in both shallow and deeper water, so small jigs or spoons tipped with live bait over known winter areas are the usual approach.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. Below about 50Β°F feeding slows sharply, Iowa DNR notes; use small, slow baits near deep cover and fish the warmest part of the day.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Bites slow; a minnow or small jig fished slowly near deeper cover is the usual approach, and through the ice where lakes freeze.

When to come: the Lake Zoar calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
Smallmouth bass
Yellow perch
Largemouth bass
Crappie
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 44 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovNov, ~44 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lake Zoar today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Sun, Nov 8

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 61 F, wind to 15 mph.

Sat, Nov 7

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 61 F, wind to 10 mph.

Fri, Nov 6

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 67 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used if we need to ask you about your report. No mailing list, no spam.

Before you go

License

Connecticut requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Designated a Walleye Lake in DEEP's lake and pond regulations; check the current Connecticut Freshwater Fishing Guide for walleye and bass limits. Boating: 45 mph by day, 25 mph from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise; no approach within 300 ft upstream or 700 ft downstream of Stevenson Dam.

Access

State boat launch at 210 Scout Road, Southbury (I-84 exit 14, Lakeside Road, Lee Farm Drive): trailered, open year-round, concrete ramp, seasonal floating dock, 60 parking spaces, ADA accessible.

About this water

A 909-acre Housatonic River impoundment from the Shepaug Dam to the Stevenson Dam, bordered by Monroe, Oxford, Newtown and Southbury, Connecticut.

Fishing Lake Zoar: the full guide

A riverine impoundment

DEEP lists Lake Zoar at 909 acres, bordered by Monroe, Oxford, Newtown and Southbury, and running from the Shepaug Dam down to the Stevenson Dam. DEEP groups it with Lake Lillinonah and Lake Housatonic as the Housatonic's three riverine impoundments, reached mainly from state boat ramps. DEEP warns that the lake is subject to seasonal and periodic water level changes and refers questions to FirstLight Power Resources, the hydropower operator.

What DEEP lists

DEEP's lake and pond regulations list smallmouth and largemouth bass, white perch, calico bass (black crappie), sunfish, yellow perch and walleye for Lake Zoar, and designate it a Walleye Lake. The Housatonic River fishing page says walleye are stocked in Lake Zoar. Zebra mussels are present, so clean, drain and dry boats before moving to another water.

October 2026 drawdown

FirstLight plans to begin lowering Lake Zoar at the Stevenson Dam on October 17, 2026 for annual maintenance and inspection. The station's normal summer range is 103 to 100.5 feet; the drawdown targets 98.5 feet and aims to restore normal levels by October 26, as river conditions allow. FirstLight's information line is 888-417-4837.

Eating the fish

Because of legacy PCB pollution from General Electric in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the Connecticut Department of Public Health keeps a fish consumption advisory for the Housatonic River and its three large impoundments, Zoar included. The advice varies by age and sex, so check the DPH page before keeping fish to eat.

Common questions

Is Lake Zoar stocked with walleye?

Yes. DEEP's Housatonic River page says walleye are stocked in Lake Zoar, and the lake is on DEEP's list of Walleye Lakes.

Where is the public boat launch?

At the end of Scout Road in Southbury (210 Scout Road). DEEP advises not to rely on Google Maps for directions: take I-84 exit 14, Lakeside Road, then Lee Farm Drive to Scout Road.

Will the water be low this fall?

Yes. FirstLight's drawdown starts October 17, 2026, targets 98.5 feet and is meant to end by October 26, river conditions permitting.

Is fishing good at Lake Zoar right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Lake Lillinonah4 miCandlewood Lake11 miSaugatuck Reservoir14 miNaugatuck River19 miHousatonic River20 miBantam Lake20 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 41.4292, -73.2420 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 7, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 7, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.