Lake Bray Fishing Guide, Hampden County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  The Hampden County end of Massachusetts holds Lake Bray. The bank is 180 feet above sea level. At roughly 10 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. The town to know is South Hadley, 2.2 miles out. Easthampton is 2.7 miles away, with Northampton at 4.2 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Lake Bray

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Survey and observation records for Hampden County include bluegill, white sucker, pumpkinseed and brook trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Lake Bray the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 23°F at the bottom of winter. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. The season between ice runs from about late March to late December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Lake Bray.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. Brunelles Marina sits 0.9 miles off, with launching and moorings. Park at Mt. Tom Parking lot, half a mile from the water. A rest area sits about half a mile from the water. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Mountain Park Reservoir sits 1.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Lake Bray if anything is unclear.