Chicopee River Reservoir Fishing Guide, Hampden County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Chicopee River Reservoir is one of the Hampden County listings for Massachusetts. Land around it is pine and birch. At about 143 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 2.0 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Few waters listed in Hampden County are bigger. Three Rivers sits 2.4 miles from the bank. Ludlow is 3.7 miles and Wilbraham 4 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Chicopee River Reservoir

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Hampden County records list bluegill, white sucker, pumpkinseed, brook trout and tessellated darter among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish Chicopee River Reservoir where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 23°F to 71°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late March. In an average year the thaw lands around late March and the freeze near late December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Chicopee River Reservoir runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. A ramp at Red Bridge Boat Launch is mapped 140 yards away. The nearest car park is 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. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Alden Pond at 1.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Chicopee River Reservoir.