Best chain pickerel lakes in Massachusetts
244 Massachusetts waters hold chain pickerel, 243 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. The eastern esox — a lie-in-wait weed-bed assassin that bites all year, including through the ice.
- Wachusett Reservoir — 110 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch
- Sudbury Reservoir — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Otis Reservoir — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Long Pond (Lakeville) — 12 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- South Watuppa Pond — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Webster Lake — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Lake Quinsigamond — 85 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Long Pond (Harwich) — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Quaboag Pond — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Onota Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Hamilton Reservoir — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Congamond Lakes South Pond — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
- Mashpee Pond — 90 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Rainbow Trout
- Lake Cochituate North Basin — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Wequaquet Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Watershops Pond — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Snipatuit Pond — 6 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Long Pond (Plymouth) — 100 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
- Lake Garfield — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Pontoosuc Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
- Squibnocket Pond — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Whitehall Reservoir — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Norton Reservoir — 9 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Great Herring Pond — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
- Congomond Lakes (Middle basin ) — 40 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
…plus 219 more Massachusetts waters holding chain pickerel.
When to fish chain pickerel in Massachusetts
- Spring 2–10 ft — Early spawner: post-spawn fish prowl warming, weedy bays and eat everything that moves.
- Summer 3–15 ft — Classic ambush game: weed edges, pad fields and dock shade — flashy, steady retrieves.
- Fall 4–15 ft — Feeding hard around the last green weeds as water cools.
- Winter 5–18 ft — One of ice fishing's most reliable biters — shiners on tip-ups over weed flats.
Also in Massachusetts: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes
Chain Pickerel elsewhere: New Hampshire · Connecticut · New York · Maine · Rhode Island