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Saugatuck Reservoir, Connecticut, USA

Saugatuck Reservoir is an outdoor person’s wonderland with great fishing, wonderful hiking, a unique landscape and a plethora of woodland and marsh birds and animals. Wildlife viewing is superb with fox, bobcat, lynx, coyote, deer, turkey, hawks, beaver, eagles, falcons, and infrequent moose being just some of the visitors. Saugatuck Reservoir is relatively remote, but centered in a highly congested area of southern Connecticut near the town…
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    • All About Saugatuck Reservoir, CT

    Lake Locations: USA - US New England Region - Connecticut - Litchfield Hills Region, CT -

    Saugatuck Reservoir is an outdoor person’s wonderland with great fishing, wonderful hiking, a unique landscape and a plethora of woodland and marsh birds and animals. Wildlife viewing is superb with fox, bobcat, lynx, coyote, deer, turkey, hawks, beaver, eagles, falcons, and infrequent moose being just some of the visitors. Saugatuck Reservoir is relatively remote, but centered in a highly congested area of southern Connecticut near the town of Redding. The beautiful area around the reservoir gives rise to gorgeous sunsets, spring rain promoting great wildflower viewing and a peacefulness found like few other places. The Aquarion Water Company (formerly Bridgeport Hydraulic Company) along with The Nature Conservancy, Aspetuck Land Trust and a number of smaller parties achieved an unparalleled land preservation accomplishment with Connecticut establishing the Centennial Watershed State Forest including Saugatuck Reservoir. This created a pristine outdoor environment and prevented any development in the area.

    Saugatuck Reservoir is at an elevation of 280 feet and was formed by the Samuel P. Senior Dam impounding the Saugatuck River. It was built by the Bridgeport Water Company primarily for a water source and conservation. The 1941 completion of the dam certainly met its goal, successfully supplying excellent quality water to thousands of Connecticut residents, now as Aquarion Water Company.

    Saugatuck Reservoir is a relative unknown outdoor recreation area and part of its charm is in its untouched feeling for hikers and shore anglers. There is no boating, camping or development around or near the reservoir. The dozens of miles of a variety of hiking trails (easy to strenuous) give access to great wildlife viewing and interaction with nature – be careful in the summer, resident goshawks are fiercely protective of nests and young.

    As one would expect, fishing is excellent and thousands of rainbow and brown trout are stocked each spring. Anglers will be able to catch bluegill, large and smallmouth bass, walleye, chain pickerel, yellow perch, and rock bass. A wheelchair accessible dock has been made available at the intersection of Davis Hill Road and Valley Road in Weston.

    In Keeping with Saugatuck Reservoir’s wilderness feeling, there are over 200 geocaches nearby, many easy to find. Like many geocaches, they are located in quite picturesque sites.

    NOTE TO HIKERS AND ANGLERS: A fishing permit and hiking permit are required around the reservoir. These are obtainable from the Aquarion Water Company (see the link below) and enforcement personnel patrol the area.

    Saugatuck Reservoir is for the outdoor person, angler or someone who just wants some peace and quiet with the added benefit of fewer visitors. It’s a wonderful experience of nature’s best.

    Reference: A Fisheries Guide to Lakes and Ponds of Connecticut, published by the Department of Environmental Protection, Hartford, Connecticut, 2002

    Things to Do at Saugatuck Reservoir

    These are some activities in the Saugatuck Reservoir, CT area visitors can enjoy:

    • Fishing
    • Boating
    • Camping
    • Hiking
    • Wildlife Viewing
    • Birding
    • State Forest

    What Kind of Fish Are in Saugatuck Reservoir?

    Saugatuck Reservoir has been known to have the following fish species:

    • Bass
    • Black Bass
    • Bluegill
    • Brown Trout
    • Chain Pickerel
    • Perch
    • Pickerel
    • Pike
    • Smallmouth Bass
    • Sunfish
    • Trout
    • Walleye
    • Yellow Perch
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    Find Places to Stay at Saugatuck Reservoir

    If you’re considering a Saugatuck Reservoir lake house rental or hotel, we’ve made it super easy to find the best rates and compare vacation accommodations at a glance. Save time using this interactive map below.

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    More Sites to Book a Saugatuck Reservoir Vacation

    Our interactive Saugatuck Reservoir lodging map above is an easy tool for comparing VRBO rental homes and nearby hotels with Booking.com, but there could be times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodations. Here are some other lake lodging partners we recommend:

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    Saugatuck Reservoir Statistics & Helpful Links

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    Lake Type: Artificial Reservoir, Dammed

    Water Level Control: Aquarion Water Company

    Surface Area: 827 acres

    Shoreline Length: 13 miles

    Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 280 feet

    Average Depth: 45 feet

    Maximum Depth: 110 feet

    Water Volume: 37,215 acre-feet

    Completion Year: 1941

    Drainage Area: 35 sq. miles

    Saugatuck Reservoir Map
    Local Weather Forecast

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