Book Your Fishing Charter in Chesterfield, MA
Plan your next angling trip in Chesterfield, MA for great freshwater fishing. Fly fishers should also look into going to the scenic forest hill town.
A rural recreational hill town between Northampton and Pittsfield and just miles west of Boston, Chesterfield is located in Hampshire County in Massachusetts. Surrounded by hills and fertile forests, the town’s waters offer anglers picturesque freshwater fishing destinations. Local waters remain clear, clean, and cool, making it a great place to fish all year round for a particular game.
The town’s intimate yet vast natural character makes it a unique destination. You can enjoy the town’s Federal Period and Greek Revival architecture while driving or trekking away from alluring organic landscapes. History buffs can also visit numerous landmarks found in the city, including museums that showcase its heritage.
Freshwater anglers will find Chesterfield a great place to plan their next fishing trip not only because of the fantastic scenery and charming feel but also because of the abundance of wild and stocked fish in its waters.
Chesterfield Fishing: Forest Freshwater Fishing
If you're looking for an exciting yet intimate experience, Chesterfield is a great place to go to as it's a town of a few people but has many areas to explore. Because its waters are landlocked, freshwater fishing is prevalent in the city. This doesn't limit anglers from either onshore or offshore angling.
A great place to start your fishing trip in Chesterfield is to visit its most notable attraction, the Chesterfield Gorge, where you'll find the east branch of the Westfield River, which has been deemed as a National Wild and Scenic River. You can find the area to the west of the town center. The river is a popular fly fishing spot, especially if you're out there targeting trout, which can be either wild or stocked. You'll be able to catch species like brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon, muskellunge, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, bluegill, and crappie.
If you're coming from the center of town, travel west on Main Road, and you'll come upon Scout Pond, situated between forestry areas of the Fisk Meadows Wildlife Management Area, which is an excellent area for those who want to fish by boat. Its waters hold fish like shiners, chain pickerel, dink perch, and slime dart. Ice fishing is popularly done in the lake's waters during the colder months.
To the south of Chesterfield, you'll find a few streams like Thayer Brook, Baker Brook, and Dead Branch Brook, which hold species like smallmouth bass, black crappie, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, brook trout, and Atlantic salmon. Heading up north is Damon Pond, another excellent fly fishing area where you'll be able to catch brook trout, brown trout, chain pickerel, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, bream, or bluegill, as well as rock bass and white perch.
Several streams and brooks are riddled throughout the local nature preserve and the West's Gilbert A. Bliss State Forest. Jewel Brook, Oak Hill Brook, West Branch, Whiteside Brook, Rocky Brook, Holly Brook, and Chauncey Brook contain wild rainbow, brown, brook, and tiger trout.
Forest Fun in Chesterfield
1. Fun-Filled Forest Activities
Surrounded by a nature reserve, state forests, and other similar nature sites, you can do many other recreational activities in Chesterfield if you want to take a break from the water. In areas like the Chesterfield Gorge, Dead Branch State Forest, Gilbert A. Bliss State Forest, Silvio O Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, or the Fisk Meadows Wildlife Management Area, you’ll be able to do some hiking, biking, camping, boating, and limited hunting amongst the forest backdrop. When it snows, you can even go cross country skiing and sledding.
2. Visit Bisbee Mill
You can learn more about what Chesterfield has been doing since the 1700’s when you visit the Bisbee Mill complex on 66 East Street. Visit the Bisbee Mill Museum and the Edwards Memorial Museum, which showcase agricultural and industrial exhibits and old and interesting artifacts such as household tools and equipment, pictures, dresses, old furniture, and more. In 2005, the mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
