Belmont Reservoir Fishing Guide, Berkshire County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Belmont Reservoir sits within Berkshire County in Massachusetts. The setting is rolling bush on every side. At 12 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is high ground by Massachusetts standards. Hinsdale is the closest place, 1.3 miles off. Dalton follows at 3 miles, then Pittsfield at 5 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Belmont Reservoir

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Records held for Berkshire County cover brown trout, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass and brook trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Belmont Reservoir the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 67°F and January near 19°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. Ice clears near early April and comes back about mid December in a typical year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Belmont Reservoir runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Fernwood Reservoir, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Belmont Reservoir carry more weight than any list.