Lake Candlewood
Fairfield County, Connecticut5,600 acresView mapDirections
CT DEEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Candlewood. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Candlewood in Fairfield County, Connecticut has water-quality measurements published by CT DEEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.6 ft visibility. Surface area: 5600 acres.
Lake Candlewood is a 5,600-acre lake in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency, last sampled 2023-07-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Candlewood is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water5,600 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Candlewood is safe to swim in today is a call for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Candlewood
These are the measurements CT DEEP publishes for Lake Candlewood, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8.6 ft. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 8.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Candlewood
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
5,600 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by CT DEEP
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Candlewood, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Candlewood Lake (Squantz Cove)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Candlewood
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Candlewood in Fairfield County, Connecticut — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Candlewood
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Follow Lake Candlewood’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lake Candlewood
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Candlewood is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Rocky River Main Dam (completed 1929), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Rocky River; other-type dam, 107 ft tall and 952 ft long.
- Surface area
- 5,600 ac
- Normal storage
- 158,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 172,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 40.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- FirstLight Power Services LLC
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CT00224 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Fairfield County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Candlewood
Where is Lake Candlewood?
- Lake Candlewood is a lake in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Its water-quality measurements are published by CT DEEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Candlewood?
- Lake Candlewood in Fairfield County, Connecticut has water-quality measurements published by CT DEEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 8.6 ft visibility. Surface area: 5600 acres.
Is Lake Candlewood safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Candlewood?
- Lake Candlewood has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Candlewood Lake (Squantz Cove). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Candlewood?
- Lake Candlewood has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Connecticut's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lake Candlewood across LakeQuality
More lakes in Connecticut
Other Lakes in Connecticut
Western Connecticut County · Measured
Western Connecticut County · Measured
Western Connecticut County · Measured
Western Connecticut County · Measured
Western Connecticut County · Measured
Western Connecticut County · Measured
Mesotrophic Lakes in Connecticut
Where this data comes from
19 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-21.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS15 samples · 2020–2023 - CT DEEP Volunteer Water Monitoring Program (Volunteer)
CTVOLMON4 samples · 2023
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory