LAKES AND PONDS
For shore access without a guide, or for taking a kid out for an hour, Madden recommends Onota and Laurel lakes, and Cheshire Reservoir, which have strong public access. Brad Havill, who makes the timeless“ Lost Art Lures” I wrote about, breaks down his recommendations by species when I ask him where he sends anglers. For largemouth bass: Shaw Pond in Otis, Stockbridge Bowl, and Richmond Pond. For smallmouth bass or pike: Pontoosuc and Onota lakes in Pittsfield or the Otis Reservoir.“ Granted, there are crossovers with some of those species,” he says,“ and most of them would work year-round for open water and ice fishing.”
My 30-year-old son Jasper, who’ s fished Laurel Lake, which sits across the town line of Lee and Lenox, calls it“ the Berkshires at its finest.”
“ You drive down what looks like an unassuming gravel road, when suddenly you’ re greeted by a stunning panorama,” he says. Jasper likes the place not just for the view, but for its“ unobstructed fishing access”— a long, clear stretch of shoreline with little in the way of snags or choking vegetation, which plagues so many ponds and lakes for the angler. Whether you’ re tossing a basic worm rig for panfish or working larger lures for bass as the water cools, he says, Laurel Lake offers that rare combination of easy access, clean water, and room to cast.
Desmond’ s advice for anyone with a young kid and an hour to spare says skip the fly rod and the river and head for a lake.“ We have a ton of fantastic lakes in the area with really easy access,” he says; not his specialty, by his own admission, but the easiest possible way to get someone out on the water and into a fish without( for the most part) frustration.
WHAT TO BRING AND RULES TO FOLLOW
“ People shouldn’ t get too hung up on the gear,” Madden says. It’ s about being out there on the water, enjoying the outdoors. For stocked trout in particular, Madden’ s advice is to go for buoyant lures or flashy spoons, but you can keep it as simple as a worm and a bobber and have a good day. That’ s also, incidentally, the best way I’ ve found to get a reluctant kid interested in fishing. At first, they might get grossed out hooking the worm, but then they’ re hooked( Dad joke intended), checking the line every ten seconds to see if the worm is still there. When they land a fish for the first time, their smile can’ t be beat.
There’ s no new rules to worry about this fall specifically; no seasonal gear restrictions or new catch limits kicking in with the season change, according to Madden. There are some limits, though, that shift by stream or river. All of these are posted in MassWildlife’ s printed guides, available anywhere that sells a license, and on the state’ s website. The interactive“ Go Fish MA!” map, which you can find at mass. gov, is worth a look before you head out; it’ ll tell you what’ s open and where the access points are. Anyone 15 or older must have a license, which you can buy online or in person, and it’ s good statewide.
Some fish are illegal to take; others have strict catch limits, including size and number. Check the Massachusetts freshwater fishing regulations before you take any fish. And check the state department of health advisory before eating any fish from Berkshire waters.( See sidebar on this page.)
ONE MORE THING Fall fishing can be especially fun for several reasons: the summer crowds are( mostly) gone; the fish are getting ready for winter; the fall foliage inches towards its peak; and for a few weeks, the county’ s rivers and lakes are about as good as they get.“ And there are fewer bugs,” Madden reminds me.“ It’ s a great time to introduce people to fishing.”
I haven’ t picked up a rod in longer than I care to admit. In reporting this piece, I caught myself more than once thinking about digging the gear out of the garage. This is the fall I’ ll do it. And for those of you making plans to go fishing soon,“ tight lines.” n
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
• License required. Anyone 15 or older needs a Massachusetts fishing license, available online through Mass. gov.
• Catch limits vary by water type and date. All lakes, ponds, and major rivers( as outlined in MassWildlife’ s Hunting & Fishing Guide) are open year-round to fishing, with a trout daily creel limit of three. The Housatonic River, also open year-round, has a daily creel limit of one trout of a minimum 20” in length. All other rivers and brooks are open year-round for fishing, with daily creel limits for trout of eight fish between April 1 to September 10, then three trout from September 11 to March 31 of the following year.( It’ s always good advice for anglers to review the guide before heading out.)
• Can I eat it? Certain water bodies carry strict“ no-eat” warnings due to industrial toxins, while others limit consumption to specific species or meal frequencies. For instance, the Housatonic River advisory for adults is“ Do not eat any fish( also includes frogs and turtles)” and for Pontoosuc Lake, it’ s“ limit Largemouth Bass to 2 meals / month; Limit other species to 1 meal / week.” Freshwater Fish Consumption Advisory Lookup Table at mass. gov.
• Catch-and-release, artificial-luresonly water. The Fife Brook section of the Deerfield and stretches of the Housatonic are catch-and-release with gear restrictions; in other words, bait fishing isn’ t allowed there.
• Trout stocking runs through fall. MassWildlife stocks roughly 60,000 to 70,000 trout across the state’ s waters each fall, and the daily stocking report at mass. gov / trout is worth checking the morning of a trip.
• For a list of resources, go to berkshiremag. com
Fall 2026 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // 79