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Author Topic: Ice fishing spots in Mass  (Read 4311 times)

Offline Curtisjmi

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Ice fishing spots in Mass
« on: Mar 01, 2020, 01:14 PM »
My brother in law is coming up from Fl and has always wanted to go ice fishing. Over the summer I told him that should be no problem because he is coming in late winter. ( He gets here on the 4th of March and will be here a week or so) problem is... I got no ice around me! I live on Hanscom AFB in Lincoln Ma just outside of Boston.
I have heard there is some good ice out west of here but Mass is a big state! Any suggestions?

Offline SteveTheChimneySweep

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #1 on: Mar 01, 2020, 01:48 PM »
Head west on Rt. 2 past Leominster / Fitchburg and Westminster.  I call it the Westminster Hill around exit 26/27 on Rt 2 it goes up in elevation quit a bit and is colder.  I fished in Hubbardston (south of Gardner) and had 7-9 inches of ice.  Long pond in Rutland had a lot of open water this week.  I am not to familiar with places west of here but look along Rt. 2 west at higher elevations for small ponds and look for shaded area protected from sunlight.
Make sure someone knows where you will be, check in often,  and have a PFD for each of you just in case.

Steve

Offline Curtisjmi

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #2 on: Mar 01, 2020, 02:41 PM »
Thanks Steve!

Offline bogtrotter

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #3 on: Mar 01, 2020, 06:51 PM »
Even with the warm spell coming, most of the spots in Berkshire County should still be good for next weekend.

Offline Jschumacher

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #4 on: Mar 01, 2020, 07:03 PM »
I was on 11" in the Berks yesterday. Shore was still holding strong. Ice was solid and no problems for the ATV. Fishing was slow but you have to expect that hanging very large baits for Pike.
Hard water Tight lines Flags up. Doesn't get any better than that

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Offline Curtisjmi

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #5 on: Mar 01, 2020, 07:50 PM »
The berks would be an awesome trip. Even if we don’t get any flags the scenery there out on the ice would be worth the trip for a flat lander! Any recommendations on ponds or lakes around there to head to? So that we can drive straight to one and not spend half the day trying to find a spot to head out on. We probably would only have time to hit one spot so it would be awesome to have a destination to head straight to.

Offline SalmonAndStriper Stalker

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #6 on: Mar 01, 2020, 07:57 PM »
if you want scenery and dont care if the fishing is slow then it's hard to beat onota lake with the mountain ridge in the background

Offline Curtisjmi

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #7 on: Mar 01, 2020, 08:00 PM »
And thanks for all the help btw. My bother-in-law is also my best friend growing up and the man loves fishing. Ice fishing is one of his life long dreams and he isn’t able to get out of FL much so I hope to make it epic for him!

Offline KillerFish

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #8 on: Mar 01, 2020, 08:01 PM »
 Cheshire Res is hard to beat also - undeveloped shorelines, mountains - fishing should be fast for pickerel and bass with a shot at a trophy pike

Offline Curtisjmi

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #9 on: Mar 01, 2020, 08:04 PM »
Well we definitely care about the fishing to but IF we don’t catch anything the scenery is a nice consolation prize! Haha
Love to get him on some trout or smallmouth.
But if he pulls a fish through some hard water it will make his trip!

Offline MASS_pike

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #10 on: Mar 01, 2020, 10:26 PM »
Fished on 13" at DAR state forest in Goshen on Sat. Action was slow and fish were not too big, but did catch multiple smallmouth and trout!  Ice will be fine there for a while.

Offline Curtisjmi

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #11 on: Mar 02, 2020, 06:35 AM »
That sounds like a winner we will probably give that one a shot! I’ll let y’all know how we do! Thanks!

Offline W8t B8t

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #12 on: Mar 02, 2020, 07:35 AM »
I live in hubbardston
Only about a hour from Lincoln
Bents pond on rt 68 still has good ice
Moose horn also
Waites pond has over a foot
Bents can be fun lots of bass pickerel and decent perch and crappie
Fish just behind the pout that juts out

Offline W8t B8t

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #13 on: Mar 02, 2020, 07:36 AM »
I live in hubbardston
Only about a hour from Lincoln
Bents pond on rt 68 still has good ice
Moose horn also
Waites pond has over a foot
Bents can be fun lots of bass pickerel and decent perch and crappie
Fish just behind the pout that juts out

Offline ArthurTagnv

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #14 on: Mar 02, 2020, 08:11 AM »
Was out on Ashmere on the Peru/Hinsdale border with 16" of ice, almost lost the scoop trying to measure it. Caught a decent bass and had one take like 20' of line

Offline scooper47

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #15 on: Mar 03, 2020, 07:37 AM »
I was on Windsor Pond in Windsor MA Monday afternoon. There was 16" of ice, but the top half was white. Quite a bit of surface water when we left at 5:20. The elevation here is 1624 feet, making this one of the coldest spots I have ever fished. I would not be too hopeful that there will be safe ice fishing this weekend.

Offline Curtisjmi

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #16 on: Mar 03, 2020, 08:44 AM »
We are probably going on Friday. All the spots that have been suggested are about 2 hours away. So if anyone goes out Thursday or Friday an updated ice report would be awesome! I would hate to drive 2 hours and not be able to get out on the ice. If I don’t hear anything I will let y’all know if there is any ice wherever we decide to go.

Offline Mhoskinsxv

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #17 on: Mar 04, 2020, 10:13 AM »
Hey w8t b8t- is bents private and is there parking? Could you shoot me a pm?

I live in hubbardston
Only about a hour from Lincoln
Bents pond on rt 68 still has good ice
Moose horn also
Waites pond has over a foot
Bents can be fun lots of bass pickerel and decent perch and crappie
Fish just behind the pout that juts out

Offline W8t B8t

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #18 on: Mar 05, 2020, 02:21 PM »
I think I sent a pm about bents
But I’m not so good at it
Bents is not private you can park on rt 68 right before guardrails start ignore the old no fishing or trespassing signs they do not apply anymore it’s easy access you’ll see the path

Offline Curtisjmi

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #19 on: Mar 07, 2020, 07:01 AM »
Ended up going to DAR state forest in Goshen. It was perfect, most spots had 13” of ice. My brother in law pulled a little brown through the ice so he was ecstatic! Caught two browns overall, thanks for all the help to everyone, it was a great trip!
Can you share videos on here because I got a great video of the Florida boys trying to work the Auger that is priceless! 😂

Offline MASS_pike

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Re: Ice fishing spots in Mass
« Reply #20 on: Mar 07, 2020, 10:21 AM »
Glad you made it out there with your Florida Bros! A couple little trout can be typical of DAR icefishing, but sometimes you can get a really busy day too, and it is always a nice senic place to fish.

Ended up going to DAR state forest in Goshen. It was perfect, most spots had 13” of ice. My brother in law pulled a little brown through the ice so he was ecstatic! Caught two browns overall, thanks for all the help to everyone, it was a great trip!
Can you share videos on here because I got a great video of the Florida boys trying to work the Auger that is priceless! 😂

 



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