US lakes & pondsUS lakes & pondsSalem · Montville · Bozrah, Connecticut — Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region.
Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 121933826).
The red circle marks Gardner Lake.
Towns and planning regions: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.
Official CT DEEP pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.
Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.
Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 121933826), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: CT DEEP boat launches and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL). Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.
OpenStreetMap shows about 0.2 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Gardner Lake shoreline, mostly along the north shore.
The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.
Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.
We found 33 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Gardner Lake, 9 of them within 5 miles. 5 are right on the shore. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.
All campgrounds & RV parks in Connecticut
Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.
Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.
Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (41.5139, -72.2286). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Gardner Lake. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.
Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/New_York), and accurate to within a few minutes.
3 public access sites listed, 3 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.
| Site | Town | Owner | Type | Parking | Fee | Uses | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boat ramp | Salem | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 41.5177, -72.2352 |
| Boat ramp | Bozrah | — | Boat ramp (OpenStreetMap) · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 41.5252, -72.2228 |
| Gardner Lake Boat Launch | Salem | CT DEEP | Trailer launch · Yes ramp | — | — | Boating | 41.5014, -72.2257 |
CT DEEP boat launches and OpenStreetMap boat ramps (ODbL)
Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.
Reported on or near Gardner Lake
USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species database
USGS records matched to this water by location (within about 150 m of the outline) or by the place name in the record. A record shows a sighting was reported; it doesn't prove the species is still there. As of Oct 10, 2026.
Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Connecticut lakes & ponds · All waters in Salem