On The Ridge with Joe Judd: Fall fishing a treat for local anglers

Ah, the scent of autumn is in the air, and for freshwater anglers, this signals the last chance to “home in” on their favorite underwater creatures before they depart to their cold-water havens. This also means the last hurrah before rods and reels, tackle boxes, fly rods, floating lines, and dry flies are left to sit in work rooms or dusty garages in favor of ice jigs and tip ups. But thankfully until that time, Mother Nature will not disappoint us, as many trout fishing opportunities still lie ahead across the western and central Mass. regions and well beyond. And as the yearly ritual of watching leaves slowly change color and eventually fall from the trees begins again, this is also a season when many great and exciting fishing opportunities are still to be had. Your chances of hooking up with an over-sized trout or, if you’re in the right location, an exceptional salmon, are quite high.

In the early fall, lake and pond fishing can be better on darker days or in deeper water, but as the water continues to cool, and the fish spread out more over time, fishing in rivers and streams is often better early and late in the day or on cloudy days. In the fall, it’s important to remember to be diverse in your technique. Casting or trolling the same lure for hours on end without changing your color, shape, or action can be dull, slow and boring. If your spoon isn’t working, try a spinner or minnow plug. If you can’t find them deep, try going shallow. And if you find a combination that works, keep casting in that same area. Stocked trout tend to school together, especially after spending time in the hatchery. Even weeks after stocking, the fish can still be found traveling in schools.

Eventually you’ll need to switch locations each time you go, in the event a school changes location. Make every attempt to stay quiet when moving. Staying quiet along the shore can really improve your luck, especially in rivers, streams, and brooks. Fish in shallow water will swim a long way if spooked, or perhaps bury up under a rock until the threat goes away. Once you arrive at your location, wait and watch for several minutes on the shore before casting. Spooked fish will often bail out to another hiding spot but eventually creep back to a feeding location when they feel safe.

Fall fishing for trout, no matter what your preference is or where you go, provides opportunities for all types of anglers. If you like to fish from the shore or a boat, in lakes, rivers, or brooks, or with flies or worms, you’ll have a great day waiting for you every time you go. And as the water temperatures become even cooler, MassWildilfe will still be able to stock trout into waters that, only a short time ago, were too warm for coldwater fish. In Massachusetts, MassWildlife reports that stocking will begin in late September, with approximately 73,000 trout across Massachusetts being stocked this fall. This includes releasing 40,200 rainbow trout over 12 inches, 27,000 rainbow trout over 14 inches, and 6,500 brown trout over 12 inches in length. Add that to the 455,000 trout that were stocked statewide in the spring, and that adds up to a lot of fish still available for freshwater anglers to enjoy chasing this coming fall. Daily stocking updates can be viewed at Mass.gov/Trout. And if you’re not sure which district you’re in, consult the MassWildlife district page for a list of towns in each district. Below is a list of popular stocking locations in both the western and central districts:

WESTERN — ADAMS: Dry Brook, Hoosic River. ASHFIELD: Ashfield Pond, Clesson Brook, South River, Swift River, Upper Branch. BUCKLAND: Clesson Brook, Deerfield River. CHARLEMONT: Chickley River, Cold River, Deerfield River, Pelham Brook. CHESHIRE: Dry Brook, Hoosic River, South Brook. CUMMINGTON: Mill Brook, Swift River, Westfield Brook, Westfield River. DALTON: East Branch Housatonic River, Sackett Brook, Wahconah Falls Brook. FLORIDA: Cold River, Deerfield River, North Pond. GOSHEN: Stones Brook, Swift River, Upper Highland Lake. GREENFIELD: Green River. HAWLEY: Chickley River

Central — ASHBURNHAM: Phillips Brook, Whitman River. ATHOL: Ellinwood Brook, Millers River, Silver Lake, West Brook, East Branch Tully River. BARRE: Burnshirt River, Prince River, Ware River, West Branch Ware River. BOYLSTON: Wachusett Reservoir. BROOKFIELD: Quacumquasit (South) Pond. EAST BROOKFIELD: Sevenmile River. FITCHBURG: Fallulah Brook, Phillips Brook. GARDNER: Dunn Pond, Otter River, Perley Brook Reservoir. LEOMINSTER: Barretts Pond. LUNENBURG: Lake Whalom, Mulpus Brook. PETERSHAM: Connor Pond, East Branch Swift River, Quabbin Reservoir. ROYALSTON: Lawrence Brook, Millers River, Priest Brook, Scott Brook, East Branch Tully River. TEMPLETON: Otter River. WEST BOYLSTON: Quinapoxet River, Wachusett Reservoir WESTMINSTER: Phillips Brook, Wyman Pond Brook.

Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the N.E. Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also on the Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Pro-Staff. He can be reached at jjontheridge@comcast.net