Fishing in Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ biggest body of fresh water, Quabbin Reservoir has a diverse fishery.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts may rank only 44th in size among U.S. states, but one wouldn’t know that from an overview of its fishing oppor-tunities. Striped bass, tuna, cod, Atlantic salmon, brook trout, and yellow perch are among the fish that have long been associated with the Bay State, and although each has had its peaks and valleys, sportfishing for these and myriad other species reaches into every sector of this heavily populated state.

From its prominent Atlantic islands to its seaboard lowlands, Massachusetts’ 192 miles of coastline and 1,519 miles of tidal shoreline reflect the prominence of the sea and its fisheries past and present. Indeed, a codfish still hangs in the statehouse here. In the upland hills and valleys, trout and salmon—equally traditional New England staples—present a diversity of opportunity that in many cases is found shoulder-to-shoulder with bass and such imports as northern pike and muskies.

Rivers and streams, brooks and ponds, reservoirs and lakes, tidal waters and estuaries, coastlines and bays, inshore and offshore—it’s all here.