Fishing in Massachusetts

State

Massachusetts

Country

USA

Venues

1,413

Licence

State-issued

PiscaMaps covers 1,413 public fishing venues across Massachusetts in 6 regions — 1,203 lakes and reservoirs and 198 rivers. The largest is Quabbin Reservoir, at 23,991 acres. Charles River is the longest mapped river, running 127 km. Central Massachusetts has the most venues on file, with 399. 128 venues are documented trout waters.

The most commonly recorded species across Massachusetts's public waters are Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Black Crappie and White Perch — the exact mix varies by water type and region. 265 venues have a real boat ramp on file, 121 have nearby camping, and 815 have mapped parking — sourced from OpenStreetMap and recreation.gov's federal facilities database (RIDB) where available.

Fishing Regions in Massachusetts

Massachusetts's public fishing venues are spread across 6 regions on PiscaMaps:

Central Massachusetts · 399 Greater Boston & MetroWest · 329 Pioneer Valley · 273 Berkshires · 141 North Shore · 139 South Shore & Cape Cod · 120

Species Recorded in Massachusetts

The most frequently recorded species across Massachusetts's public venues on PiscaMaps:

Smallmouth Bass · 1,245 Largemouth Bass · 1,243 Yellow Perch · 1,240 Chain Pickerel · 1,207 Bluegill · 708 Pumpkinseed Sunfish · 704 Black Crappie · 412 White Perch · 375 Sunfish · 373 Rainbow Trout · 195

Fishing Licence in Massachusetts

Anyone 15 or older needs a Massachusetts fishing licence — the resident annual is about $28, the non-resident annual about $37, with non-resident 3-day (~$24) and 7-day (~$34) licences also sold. Massachusetts residents 70 and older need no licence, and anyone under 15 fishes free. Buy from MassWildlife at mass.gov/masswildlife. A Massachusetts fishing licence covers this water — it's on MassWildlife's 'Go Fish!' list of public fishing waters.

Full access to public fishing venues in Massachusetts

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many public fishing venues are there in Massachusetts?+

PiscaMaps covers 1,413 public fishing venues across Massachusetts in 6 regions — 1,203 lakes and reservoirs and 198 rivers. The largest is Quabbin Reservoir, at 23,991 acres. Charles River is the longest mapped river, running 127 km. Central Massachusetts has the most venues on file, with 399. 128 venues are documented trout waters.
Do I need a fishing licence in Massachusetts?+

Anyone 15 or older needs a Massachusetts fishing licence — the resident annual is about $28, the non-resident annual about $37, with non-resident 3-day (~$24) and 7-day (~$34) licences also sold. Massachusetts residents 70 and older need no licence, and anyone under 15 fishes free. Buy from MassWildlife at mass.gov/masswildlife. A Massachusetts fishing licence covers this water — it's on MassWildlife's 'Go Fish!' list of public fishing waters.
Are there boat ramps and camping near Massachusetts's fishing lakes?+

265 venues have a mapped boat ramp and 121 have nearby camping on PiscaMaps, sourced from OpenStreetMap and the federal RIDB database.