Bishop Swamp in Andover, Connecticut: A Little Known Ice Fishing Spot

Bishop Swamp in Andover is one of the best kept secrets of ice fisherman in Connecticut, as well as a secret kept from ice fisherman for various reasons. Because the 53-acre pond is hard to find and lies near a much larger body of water, Andover Lake, it is not a go-to destination for ice fishing, but Bishop Swamp is worth the drive and attention in the dead of winter. Bishop Swamp has fish, and big ones, as I can attest, having seen them come through the ice with my own eyes.

One of the reasons that Bishop Swamp is perhaps lightly fished in comparison to other Connecticut lakes is there is often confusion about its name. The state of Connecticut owns Bishop Swamp, designated as a conservation area, but the pond is also called Jurovaty Pond, which can lead to some bewilderment when trying to ask the locals directions to it. My first trip there got many puzzled looks when I asked how to find Bishop Swamp, but fortunately for me I have finally written down some good directions to Bishop Swamp and now have no trouble finding it.

The town of Andover is about 20 miles east of Hartford and a few miles west of Willimantic. Bishop Swamp can be reached by accessing Route 6, also known as the Jonathan Trumbull Highway when coming from Hartford. I come from the Willimantic side, so I go along 6 until I see a left onto Hebron Road, also known as Route 316. This can also result in some puzzlement, but you need to follow Hebron Road a short distance, looking for a quick right onto Boston Hill Road. Once on this road, stay on it about a mile until you find Jurovaty Lane, a left that brings you onto Jurovaty Road. Bishop Swamp is on Jurovaty Road, maybe half a mile down on the other side of a hill. It is located on your right, with a small parking area that can accommodate a handful or so of vehicles.

Bishop Swamp is right there, within yards of the parking, so it is not a long haul to get your ice fishing equipment out on the ice. Bishop Swamp is shaped somewhat like South America, with the parking area being about where the tip of Brazil that touches the Atlantic would be. There is a small island to your right with the water not too deep around it, but the depth of the water is around 6 to 7 feet in most other areas. Bishop Swamp is socked in with lily pads in the late spring and summer months, but they begin to die in the fall and by winter they are long gone. There are quite a few weeds however, so be sure to check your shiners once you have set up to make certain they haven't become tangled and are swimming freely.

What's in Bishop Swamp to make it worth your while to go ice fishing there? The 2008 Connecticut Anglers Guide lists the lake as having bass but nothing in the book makes the place stand out. I asked that question myself when I first discovered the pond and it was answered by an 80 year old man who had made the long trip from New Britain to fish it. When he told me he had traveled all that way to ice fish Bishop Swamp, I figured he had his reasons. By the end of the day I saw them firsthand, as he pulled out a 6 pound largemouth bass and a pair of pickerel over 24 inches. When he had left I moved my tilts to where he was and caught 2 lunker pickerel of my own. In subsequent trips to ice fish Bishop Swamp I have met with similar success, so I now make sure to visit it at least once a year. The bass are plentiful and good sized, and although many ice fisherman frown on pickerel, I enjoy catching any fish and have no such qualms about these toothy predators. Everything I catch at Bishop Swamp goes right back down the hole in the ice, to maybe battle me another day. And just where that old man showed me to set up to catch these fish I will not share with you, as you need to find such grand things out on your own!

Source:

http://andoverct.org/