Patch Reservoir Fishing in Worcester County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Patch Reservoir lies within the bounds of Worcester County, Massachusetts. It sits 39 miles in from the sea. With some 34 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The nearest place of any size is Worcester, 2.5 miles away. Leicester is 3.4 miles and Hamilton Worcester 4.4 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Patch Reservoir

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Open biodiversity records for Worcester County list bluegill, chain pickerel, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Patch Reservoir for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 22°F to 69°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. The open-water window runs from around early April to about late December in an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on Patch Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. Reserve land runs up to the bank here, so read the notices. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Patch Pond sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. For Patch Reservoir, the notice at the access point is the final word.