While the wait is on for winter to start behaving like it close to the coast, those seeking safe ice have been on the move. Should you decide that you simply can’t wait for neighborhood water bodies to cap over, point your ride to the valleys and the hills!
Massachusetts Fishing Report
I was pleasantly surprised when David of Merrimack Sports spilled the beans on a number of ice fishing options in the Merrimack Valley. First on the list was Millvale Pond which was producing good numbers of rainbows, bass and pickerel but the number which most stuck out was 7”, which was the average depth of ice! Other spots that have been producing are Plugs Pond, Rock Pond, Country Pond and Tuxbury Pond. In anticipation of what seems like an imminent lock-up of the coves of the Merrimack (again!), the shop is supplementing its “heavy” shiners (5”) with bigger bait for the pike that prowl there.
Rod from Flagg’s Fly and Tackle in Orange told me he’s spending so much time making bait runs he feels like an Uber driver. Considering the variety of ice fishing options in the Connecticut Valley Region there is little wonder. The latest to lock up is Mattawa which just “caught” with the catching not restricted to just safe ice either as reports of 20” rainbows trickle in. This lake also has some impressive trophy yellow perch and smallmouth bass. There are big browns swimming in Lake Mattawa as well. For other CV choices consider Laurel Lake, Lake Ellis and North Spectacle Pond with the latter deserving special mention for slab crappie prospects. South Spectacle Pond can be good also, just be careful of the reed beds which don’t freeze well. If you’d like to get one more shot at trolling up an open water trout before it freezes then South Pond in East Brookfield/Sturbridge is a possibility. Rod said that a guy came into the shop, loaded up with bait and other ice fishing goodies in anticipation of chasing flags, only to stand at the shoreline and watch a guy trolling back and forth in his boat!
Want to get in on the bite? Find an OTW-approved Charter Fishing Captain for Massachusetts
Captain Patrick Barone of Charter The Berkshires said that many smaller, higher elevation water bodies in the Berkshire region feature safe ice. One warm water species location he was on recently had 6-7 inches and featured fast-paced action for pickerel, panfish and bass! On the backend of the weather forecast, the prediction is for single-digit temps at night which should lock up the larger water bodies such as Buel, Onota and Pontoosuc. For a tip where to try, Patrick suggests Buckley Dunton Reservoir in Becket. This place is a stump-filled jungle and is loaded with pickerel of good average size and also gives up good largemouth bass and perch.
Eddie of B&A Bait and Tackle Co. in West Boylston said that finally, anglers are fishing locally with hardwater setting up nearby making the need to haul elsewhere less imperative. Some coves on Comet Pond have had some rainbow and brown trout action. Maple Springs Pond and the Coachlace Lakes have been it for warm water species. In anticipation of a lot of angling activity, the shop will be carrying the full gamut of shiner sizes.
Massachusetts Fishing Forecast
It’s looking as if the future will be an “ice-in, open-water out” affair so if you really want to get in a few casting licks before the gear is stowed until the spring, there are a few choices to take advantage of. On the South Shore, Pete from Belsan’s in Scituate said that anglers “blowing up” worms and shiners are having their way with all sorts of trout from Plymouth through the Cape. In the Metrowest region open water trout from Ashland Reservoir, Hopkinton Resevoir and Walden Pond has been pretty good according to Eric of Lunkers.
For most everyone else, the ice is fine among the valleys and hills with standouts being Lake Mattawa in the Connecticut Valley Region, Millvale Pond in the Merrimack Valley Region and Buckley Dunton Reservoir in the Berkshires!
thaks for the report waiting for solid ice northshore