Plenty to eat in Candlewood for a striper that size with all of the herring, trout, bluegills, etc. They have been caught that size in Lake Housatonic due to guys catching them below the dam and dumping up in the lake. Plenty of deep water to hold over in the winter similar to what they do in the lower Housatonic and Hudson rivers.
That said, from the picture it looks like the foliage on the brush in the background is too far along to be a Candlewood shoreline. The two rivers may be that far along in the lower sections.
Virtually all of the big reservoirs in Virginia, N.C., and S.C. have both land-locked regular stripers that size and the swipers (white bass - striper hybrids). The spring has sprung down there so an earlier picture from even March would show the same background.
I would also think a striper that size would have shown itself on the surface at some point chasing herring or trout around, anyone hear any rumors like that on Candlewood?