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East Branch Housatonic River is a public river in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, managed by Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. You can fish it on a Massachusetts fishing licence; bank access is at bridge crossings, MassWildlife access points and public parks. Massachusetts riverbeds are private property up to the ordinary high-water mark except on a few federally-declared-navigable reaches, so wading or bank fishing away from a public access point needs the landowner's permission. Public access confirmed via MassWildlife Go Fish! water.
The Housatonic River through the Berkshires — a well-known wild and stocked brown trout fishery, though PCB contamination advisories apply to some reaches (check current MassWildlife/MassDEP consumption advisories).
It runs roughly 16 miles through the Berkshires region. Anglers here mostly fish for brown trout, smallmouth bass, rainbow trout. Live flow and gauge height come from the East Branch Housatonic River At Coltsville, Ma USGS station shown below. The nearest other mapped waters on PiscaMaps are Berkshire Pond and Cleveland Brook Reservoir.
Species from PiscaMaps water-type profiles, MassWildlife trout designations and hand research.
Night fishing: No statewide night-fishing closure in Massachusetts on most inland waters — check local rules for water-supply reservoirs (Quabbin, Wachusett), which have their own posted hours and access restrictions.
Boats: Most Massachusetts rivers (the Housatonic, Deerfield, Westfield, Ipswich and Concord) are waded or floated by canoe, kayak or drift boat; the Connecticut and Merrimack take larger boats in their lower, wider reaches.
Bank & bivvy camping: You can fish this river on a Massachusetts fishing licence; bank and wading access is at MassGIS OFBA-listed sites, bridge crossings and public parks — check current signage for any water, as bank ownership and access rights vary by reach.
Boat ramps: 5 mapped — Hubbard Avenue Bridge, Old Windsor Road, Fred Garner Park, Route 8 Bridge, Bullards Crossing Road.
Camping: 1 site mapped nearby — Camp Romaca.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Loading live flow & gauge height…
Live from USGS gauge 01197000 — East Branch Housatonic River At Coltsville, Ma. Full gauge data →
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.
Every water carries species, bank & boat access, current regulations and live water conditions — and members get Swim Mapper, Catch Logger and Trip Planner. It's the only US map with a dedicated carp-water layer.
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