Higley Brook in Berkshire County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Higley Brook lies in Berkshire County, in Massachusetts. The surroundings are mixed forest. Compared with other Massachusetts water on our list, it sits high. Nearest town is Lee, 4.3 miles off. Springfield sits 32 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water. Ground round the water is mixed, open in parts and thick in others.

• Where to Fish on Higley Brook

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Log jams gather bait and everything that eats it. The outside of each bend cuts deepest and holds the better fish. Public occurrence data for Berkshire County names brown trout, pumpkinseed and largemouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Higley Brook the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 67°F and January at 20°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Slack stretches skin over in the cold months, while the faster water stays open around early April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Higley Brook follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Appalachian Trail Corridor takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Greenwater Pond at 1 mile is the nearest alternative. Treat access at Higley Brook as something to verify.