Arcadia Lake in Hampshire County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Arcadia Lake is a Hampshire County water, Massachusetts side. The surface lies 315 feet up. The water covers some 32 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Start from Belchertown, 2.9 miles down the road. It is 17 miles to Springfield, the nearest city. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Arcadia Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Hampshire County include brook trout, bluegill, pumpkinseed and tessellated darter. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Fish Arcadia Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 71°F and January reads 23°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Look for the thaw near late March; the fishing lifts straight after. Average temperatures cross freezing around late March in spring and again near late December in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Arcadia Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Parking is close: a car park sits half a mile from the bank. A picnic area is mapped about half a mile away. Valuation Section Conservation Area runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Lake Holland sits 0.3 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Arcadia Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.