Fishing Report For Quabbin Reservoir, MA

Current Report: Good To Very Good

There are miles and miles of rocky shorelines on Quabbin Reservoir, and that's ideal territory for smallmouth bass. Locals report catching smallies on just about anything in your tackle box, but spinnerbaits, tube baits, jigs, drop-shot rigs and jerkbaits are all catching lots of fish. Just find a rocky point, work from deep to shallow and identify the ideal depth for the day. Then work rocky or rip-rap areas in that depth.

FALL. Fall is in full swing and smallmouth have followed schools of baitfish into coves and bays 20 to 30 feet deep. They thrive in the cold, clean water, which is an ideal environment for them. Locals report that tube jigs, and drop shot rigs with small worms or shad shaped plastics, are popular in 10' water or deeper. Worms, jigs, deep-diving crankbaits, swimbaits, and slow-rolled spinnerbaits, are also successful, when bass are shallow to mid depth. Later in Fall, smallies move to slightly deeper water, around 30 to 40 feet deep. Fishing shallow for smallmouth is often good on cold, windy, cloudy and rainy days.

WINTER. Winter will isolate them around deeper structure, points, flats and creek channels, often suspending in open water above these features. Before and after ice season, they can generally be found from 25 to 70 feet deep. Jigging spoons, tube baits, drop-shot worms, jigs and Ned rigs tend to temp smallmouth in deep water. I like to work these deeper haunts very slowly, as the bass are somewhat sluggish. Here they hold, feeding less frequently, awaiting warmer water to return in Spring.

SPRING. After ice out, when water temperatures rise into the 50's, smallmouth move from deep wintering spots to shallower water, just outside spawning areas. They feed heavily in 1 to 10 feet of water at this time, and are typically caught on jerkbaits, crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, and crayfish imitating plastics. Once water warms into the high 50's, they move into shallower water, and create nests in gravel or sand areas, then lay their eggs. Females then move to deeper water and males remain to guard the eggs, and then the fry. After a couple weeks, the males also move into 6 to 20 feet deep, and feed aggressively. Crankbaits, tube baits, Ned rigs, plastic worms, spoons and swimbaits are catching smallies during this period.

SUMMER. Smallmouth bass are currently feeding shallow early and late in the day in 2 to 12 feet of water. They are being caught on topwater, crankbaits, swimbaits, Ned rigs and tube baits. Smallmouth bass here feed on crawfish, gizzard shad, and small sunfish. They prefer rocky or gravel bottom areas, as this is where crayfish live. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught on points, humps, and ledges around 15 to 60 feet deep. Often these deeper fish tend to school, so finding them can deliver some fast action. Anglers fishing the main channel edges, deeper rock ledges, shaded banks, and humps, are reporting good catches.

Current Report: Good

Quabbin Reservoir is home to the state record lake trout, at over 25 pounds, and a lot of fish over 15 pounds are caught regularly. Lake trout spawn in late Fall, in shallow rocky areas. In Spring lakers here move relatively shallow where many locals catch them while trolling a wide variety of lures. Live baitfish, which you must catch for your personal use, can be used to fish for lake trout here, either when trolling or casting. Lakers feed on small fish, so lures imitating baitfish, sunfish, perch or small trout are good choices. Flashy spoons can be fished at any depth, either jigging, trolling or cast and retrieve.

FALL. Lake trout have returned to relatively shallow water, as Fall weather cools the lake. They spawn in the Fall, and for a few weeks can typically be found 20 to 50 feet deep on points, flats and humps that have a rocky bottom. Lake trout feed on small fish, so lures imitating baitfish, sunfish, perch or small trout are good choices. Cloudy days, early mornings and early evenings are the best time to catch big lakers. Spoons, jigged vertically within the target depth can entice bites. Trolling with spoons, brightly-colored jerkbaits, and spinners with a variety of rigging methods to get these lures to run deep. For big lakers, use larger baits.

WINTER. Favoring water temperatures in the 40's, lake trout find areas to their liking in 30 to 100 feet of water, and tend to stay there throughout the cold months. Learning these areas before the lake ices over can get you into some of the better area for ice fishing. Patient anglers willing to work slowly are catching some nice lake limits through the ice. After ice out, trolling with leaded line or downriggers, or vertical jigging with spoons and jigs, completes the cold-water season in 80 to 100 feet of water, or deeper.

SPRING. Prime laker fishing season is during Spring. Spring weather finds lake trout, along with baitfish, into 2 to 15 feet of water. Early Spring is a prime time to catch big lakers. Lakers are caught in areas of the lake which have deep water next to shallower, feeding spots. Jigs and heavy spoons are catching the majority of these big lakers. Slow trolling with leaded line or downriggers allows small crankbaits and spinners to be worked in deeper water, which also produces some nice fish. Later in Spring they typically drop into 15 to 40 feet of water.

SUMMER. Summer heat drives lake trout deeper, generally below the thermocline in 40 to 100 feet deep. Early and late in the day, lakers may feed shallow. Generally, lake trout prefer to stay deep, below the thermocline, throughout Summer. They look for depth variations like ditches, channels, humps and ledges, but are being caught in the deeper water around this structure. Heavy spoons and jigs, as well as very slow trolling, with leaded line or downriggers, produce many of the lakers being caught during Summer. In late summer concentrate on channel edges, troughs, and main lake humps.

Current Report: Good To Very Good

Anglers most often target landlocked salmon by trolling open water. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation report that the highest concentrations of these big fish are in the deeper, colder, western arm of the lake. Check regulations before fishing for salmon, or any other species, on Quabbin Reservoir.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures have brought salmon back near the surface and closer to shore, in 10 to 30 feet. They are naturally drawn to the vicinity of inlets or outlets, where they prepare to spawn, generally from the middle of October to late November. Upper arm points and flats, points with steep drop‑offs into the main channel are popular spots with local anglers. They create nests in shallow gravel, where they lay their eggs. Fly fishing, or casting flatfish, spinners, jerkbaits and spoons is popular and effective during these shallow-water periods. Later in the season they move to around 30 to 60 feet deep.

WINTER. Fishing season is from the third Saturday in April to the third Saturday in October for boating or fishing access.

SPRING. Once ice-out is complete in Spring, landlocked salmon become more active and feed in 10 to 70 feet of water, often near the shoreline. At this time they begin moving to inflowing tributaries as they prepare to spawn. After spawning they begin moving to deeper water. Trolling shallow with spinners, flatfish and super dupers is the most popular method for catching them during Spring.

SUMMER. Anglers most often target landlocked salmon by trolling open water. During the warm Summer months, salmon migrate to deeper, cooler water, usually between 40 and 100 feet deep, often deeper. Trolling with lead core line or downriggers allows for use of most lures and bait at these depths. They forage on a variety of prey, including alewives, smelt other baitfish.