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Quabbin Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A 24,012-acre drinking-water reservoir with wild lake trout and landlocked salmon, fished during a DCR season from three gated boat launch areas.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~55 F est.
Air / High
55 / 55 F
Wind
N 7 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Tap a marker for today's tip
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Quabbin Reservoir feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. Today brings clear skies, wind N around 7 mph, rising pressure near 1027 hPa and a high of 55. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:22 AM-11:22 AM and 9:52 PM-11:52 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Lake troutGood

Spring and fall bring lakers into 10 to 30 feet of water (Michigan DNR), within reach of casters and shallow trollers; fall is also spawning time over rocky shoals.

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Yellow perchGood

Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

Largemouth bassGood

In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Landlocked salmonGood

Spring after ice-out and the fall cool-down are the surface seasons, with fish near shore and at stream mouths feeding on smelt: troll or cast streamers and smelt imitations.

CrappieFair

Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Tomorrow: Similar at 58 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp55 F
High / Low55 / 36 F
WindN 7-13 mph
Pressure1027.4 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset07:11 / 17:54
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Which day to fish Quabbin Reservoir this week

The best day on Quabbin Reservoir this week looks like Sunday Oct 25, at 4 out of 5, against 2 today.

Best day this week: Sunday, Oct 25 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Tough

Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Solunar majors
9:22 AM-11:22 AM and 9:52 PM-11:52 PM
Minor period
3:44 AM-4:44 AM
Sun
07:11 to 17:54
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Clear, 11 mph
Rain chance
0%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Quabbin Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Lake trout illustration

Lake trout

Spring and fall in shallow water, deep in summer, and through the ice in winter

Lake trout are slow-growing chars of large, deep, cold lakes, native from Alaska and northern Canada to New England and the Great Lakes, and introduced in many western lakes. Spring and fall bring lakers into 10 to 30 feet of water (Michigan DNR), within reach of casters and shallow trollers; fall is also spawning time over rocky shoals.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Pre-spawn fish move toward shallow coves, and Iowa DNR points to wading as an effective way to reach them in spring; minnows or small jigs under a float.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Landlocked salmon illustration

Landlocked salmon

Spring and fall near the surface, deep in summer, and under the ice in winter

Landlocked salmon are Atlantic salmon that complete their whole life in fresh water, feeding mainly on rainbow smelt in cold lakes of Maine and the Northeast. Spring after ice-out and the fall cool-down are the surface seasons, with fish near shore and at stream mouths feeding on smelt: troll or cast streamers and smelt imitations.

When to come: the Quabbin Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lake trout
Smallmouth bass
Yellow perch
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Rainbow trout
Landlocked salmon
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Quabbin Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 63 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 58 F, wind to 11 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 65 F, wind to 14 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Massachusetts requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Massachusetts fishing or sporting license, or a one-day Quabbin Fishing License sold at the launch areas, for anglers over 15. DCR's Quabbin limits for 2026: lake trout 2 (18-inch minimum); landlocked salmon 2 (15-inch minimum); brown, rainbow and brook trout 3 combined, no minimum; chain pickerel 5 (15-inch minimum); largemouth and smallmouth bass 5 combined (12-inch minimum). Smelt may be used as bait only after May 15, and chumming is prohibited.

Access

Boat Launch Area 1 at Gate 8 (Pelham, off Route 202), Area 2 at Gate 31 (New Salem, off Route 122) and Area 3 at Gate 43 (Hardwick, off Greenwich Road). Rental boats are first come, first served; parking and launch fees apply and only credit cards are accepted.

About this water

A 24,012-acre impoundment of the Swift River in Belchertown, Hardwick, New Salem, Pelham, Petersham, Shutesbury and Ware, Massachusetts, managed by DCR's Division of Water Supply Protection.

Fishing Quabbin Reservoir: the full guide

The reservoir and its fish

MassWildlife describes Quabbin as a 24,012-acre impoundment of the Swift River and a primary drinking water supply; DCR says it serves 2.7 million Massachusetts residents. MassWildlife calls it one of two Massachusetts waters with naturally reproducing lake trout and landlocked salmon, with abundant smallmouth bass and white perch that reach considerable size. Its surveys also found largemouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, black crappie, rainbow smelt and several sunfish, and the reservoir is stocked with trout each spring.

Where the fish are

DCR says most of the deep coldwater fish are in the west arm, reached from Gate 8 (Boat Launch Area 1), while Gates 31 and 43 also give access to shallower water better suited to warmwater species. MassWildlife adds that shore anglers do best for trout and salmon in spring, when those fish roam the shallow margins looking for smelt, and that a boat is needed in summer once they go deep.

The 2026 season

The Quabbin fishing season runs from the third Saturday in April to the third Saturday in October: in 2026 it opened April 18 and boating closes October 17. Daylight shore fishing along designated shorelines, from Gates 8 to 16A and 22 to 44, continues to December 31, and night fishing needs a DCR permit at certain gates. Pottapaug and O'Loughlin ponds are closed to all boating in 2026 for swollen bladderwort control, and there are no canoe or kayak rentals.

Boats and motors

Every private boat needs an intact Quabbin Boat Seal from DCR's decontamination program, must be at least 12 feet long and may carry four people; private canoes and kayaks are not allowed on the reservoir. Rental boats are limited to 10 hp. Private two-stroke motors are capped at half the boat's rated horsepower up to 20 hp, and four-strokes at half the rating, with a 25 hp cap for engines of 40 hp or more. Swimming, wading, pontoons, inflatables, sailboats, camping and fires are prohibited.

Common questions

Can I bring my own boat?

Yes, if it carries an intact Quabbin Boat Seal from DCR's decontamination or cold-weather quarantine program and meets the length and motor limits. Private canoes and kayaks are not allowed.

When is Quabbin open for fishing?

In 2026, from April 18; boating closes October 17 and designated shorelines stay open to December 31.

Which launch is best for lake trout and salmon?

Gate 8, Boat Launch Area 1: DCR says most deep coldwater species are in the west arm it serves.

Is fishing good at Quabbin Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Swift River5 miWestfield River25 miStillwater River28 miWachusett Reservoir31 miWebster Lake32 miDeerfield River34 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 42.3500, -72.3300 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.