Upper Reservoir in Berkshire County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The land about it is rolling bush. Roughly 44 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Compared with other Massachusetts water on our list, it sits high. Supplies mean a trip to Lee, 2.5 miles off. The nearest city of size is Albany, 35 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Upper Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Across Berkshire County, recorded fish include brown trout, pumpkinseed and largemouth bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Upper Reservoir to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 20°F in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Plan any trip to Upper Reservoir around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Town of Lee Water Department Land covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Woods Pond, 2.1 miles out. Treat Upper Reservoir as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.