Fishing East Brimfield Lake in Hampden County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Out in Hampden County, Massachusetts, sits East Brimfield Lake. The land about it is lake country bush. At about 148 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The perimeter runs near 5.4 miles, so plan the walk before you start. Size puts it in the front rank of our Hampden County list. The nearest place of any size is Fiskdale, 1.3 miles away. Worcester is the closest city, 20 miles away. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on East Brimfield Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Records held for Hampden County cover bluegill, white sucker, pumpkinseed and brook trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. East Brimfield Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 23°F in January to roughly 69°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. The open-water window runs from around early April to about late December in an average year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On East Brimfield Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. A slipway half a mile out gives trailer access. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Pork Barrel Pond sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish East Brimfield Lake.