Fishing Needham Reservoir in Norfolk County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Needham Reservoir lies in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. The water sits 108 feet up. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The closest town, Needham, is 1.1 miles away. Further out sit Oak Hill Park (2.4 miles) and Newton Upper Falls (3 miles). The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Needham Reservoir

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Across Norfolk County, recorded fish include bluegill, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, yellow perch and redfin pickerel. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Needham Reservoir that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 72°F, with January the cold end at about 26°F. A lid forms in a hard winter only. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Needham Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. A parking area is marked roughly 110 yards out. The water borders Needham Reservoir, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Rosemary Lake is 1.5 miles off. Nothing on Needham Reservoir should be assumed from this page alone.