Ever dreamed of casting a fishing line into a lake or pond and pulling in a prize catch? The suburbs west of Boston offer ample opportunities for landing the big one.
One of the most popular spots is Lake Cochituate. The entrance to Cochituate State Park is on Commonwealth Road in Natick, but the lake also straddles parts of Framingham and Wayland.
“Lake Cochituate is truly a destination location for Metrowest anglers,” said Richard Hartley, fisheries biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. “Its large ramp and ample parking make it a great choice for any size trailered boat, but it also offers many quiet, secluded coves for nonmotorized watercraft.”
Hartley said the lake has consistently produced trophy fish including chain pickerel, largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbow trout, and tiger trout.
Greg Miner, owner and head guide of the Norfolk-based Charles River Outdoor Company, said Cochituate is actually composed of three interconnected lakes: North, Middle, and South lakes.
“North Lake is a ton of fun to hunt for trophies of differing species that stay in the deeper, colder, and clearer waters, also because you can fish North Lake from the shore and have a good shot at these trophies,” said Miner.
Miner said he especially likes to fish Middle Lake because he’s a bass fisherman first and foremost, and that’s where the big ones are caught.
Some of the best baits to use are shiners (a type of minnow), night crawlers, and rubber worms, said Miner. He also likes to use diving lures and top-water baits.
“The biggest bass we have caught there so far has been 5½ pounds, which is a beauty,” he said. “But they do get much bigger. As they get bigger, they get harder to catch because they also get smarter. They get that big for a reason!”
Blake Phillips of Sutton said he’s been out with Miner many times on Lake Cochituate and has caught lots of bass, trout, and other fish.
“Out of all the things I’ve done in New England, from boating to hiking to white-water rafting, this is a summer essential,” said Phillips, “getting outdoors and making a trip to a lake that’s in so many people’s backyards. People drive by it, but they don’t realize what’s in there.”
The thrill of catching the big ones has to be enough: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health advises against eating freshwater fish caught in most lakes and streams because of high levels of mercury. For Lake Cochituate, the danger is polychlorinated biphenyls, toxic chemicals known as PCBs.
Anyone 15 or older needs a license to fish ($27.50) in freshwater in Massachusetts, although they are free for state residents age 15 to 17, and 70 years of age and older. For license information, go to the Department of Fish & Game website.