Lake Saltonstall Fishing in Essex County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Lake Saltonstall sits within Essex County in Massachusetts. Tidal water begins 11 miles from here. Surface area is around 42 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Shoreline comes to about 1.2 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Supplies mean a trip to Haverhill, 0.7 miles off. For a city, Lowell is 16 miles off. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Lake Saltonstall

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Records held for Essex County cover alewife, bluegill and striped bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Lake Saltonstall the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 71°F and January reads 25°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near late December: that is the shape of an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. The season on Lake Saltonstall rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. A pier or jetty stands half a mile away, which helps on a crowded bank. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Lake Pentucket, 0.7 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Lake Saltonstall for certain.