Metacomet Lake Fishing near Belchertown, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Hampshire County in Massachusetts is where Metacomet Lake sits. The ground around here is lake country bush. At about 50 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. With about 1.2 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Head to Belchertown, 2.5 miles away, for anything you forgot. It is 16 miles to Springfield, the nearest city. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Metacomet Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Hampshire County include brook trout, bluegill, pumpkinseed, tessellated darter and white sucker. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Metacomet Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 71°F in July and bottoms out near 23°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late March. Ice clears near late March and comes back about late December in a typical year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Metacomet Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Arcadia Lake is 0.6 miles distant. What applies at Metacomet Lake may have changed since it was mapped.