Squannacook River Massachusetts Fishing Report & Options for Selecting Flies: Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Freestone
Species
Brown Trout (wild and stocked with
holdovers)
Rainbow (wild and stocked with
holdovers)
Brook Trout (native)
Size
Medium to Large
Location
Central Massachusetts
Nearest Towns
Townsend
Season
Year-round
Access:
Good
Non-Resident License
State of Massachusetts
Fishing License Article – Everything you need to know: Click Here
Weather
National Weather Service Link
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Fly Fishing The Squannacook River Massachusetts
The Squannacook River is without question, one of the state’s better trout streams. It flows through miles of public land with plenty of easy to access water and some difficult to reach sections of water. It’s a beautiful stream with a large diversity of types of water ranging from fast flowing freestone stream sections, meandering meadow- like streams and slower moving areas with large deep pools that offer the perfect habit for brown trout. It’s fertile water with lots of aquatic insects and full of brown, rainbow and brook trout that survive throughout the year. It has a huge stream-born population of brook trout in its clear, cold waters.
Fly fishing the Squannacook River is a pure pleasure in its Black Rock area of the stream. There’s a huge overhanging boulder that identifies the area that is fished only by those willing to take a lengthy hike to reach its waters. There are trails leading to this section that start from the elementary school in Townsend.
There are many other good areas to fish. The headwaters can be reached from State Highway #119 west from Townsend Center at the VFW parking lot. This is where several small tributaries or headwater brooks form the Squannacook River. You can access the upper part at the bridge where the Turnpike Road cross the Squannacook River. You can hike up or downstream from that location. From the center of Townsend Center you can reach the stream at various locations from the trail system just mention that takes you to the Black Rock area. You can also turn left on Dudley Street just past the elementary school and then hike through the State Forest. You can access the stream from Townsend Harbor upstream to Townsend from just off highway State Highway #119 on a dead-end, unpaved road that ends at the river. You can travel up or downstream from that point.
Fly fishing the Squannacook River tributaries for brook trout can be very productive. It has several small tributary streams that are also regularly stocked. The five streams that form the river are Trapfall Brook, Willard Brook, Locke Brook, Walker Brook and Mason Brook. Each of these are stocked with brook trout and also have holdovers and wild brook trout. Witch Brook and Bixby Brook are two other tributaries that are stocked with trout. There are several other tributaries that hold trout but are not stocked.
As you may assume, the best sections of the river are the ones that you have to go to the most trouble to access. They are fished less and in general, hold more and larger trout, especially the holdovers from previous stockings. Most anglers try to follow the hatchery trucks and fish at the easy to access points along the river. To catch quality trout, you should seek the remote areas.