Wachusett Reservoir is unique among Massachusetts’ waterbodies. It provides public drinking water to over three million of the state’s residents, so is off-limits to any boat activity. This is one of two places where Bay State anglers can target the elusive lake trout—Salvelinus namaycush—the other being the Quabbin Reservoir. Wachusett is notable for producing multiple lakers exceeding 20 pounds, most recently a 39-inch, 20-pound laker, the new state record, caught in April 2024.
Wachusett’s expansive shorelines allow bank-bound anglers to stand at the edge of sharp underwater cliffs that tower above some of the steepest submerged ledges in Central Massachusetts. Casting from the many vantage points along the reservoir’s shoreline, a skilled shore angler can reach depths of 30, 40, even 50 feet with a fast-sinking lure and a slow retrieve.
(Note: On The Water is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.)
Productive-looking locations abound at Wachusett Reservoir, but fishermen on foot must maximize their time and effort. Hiking several miles between spots can be enjoyable, though time on the trail does not always equal fish on the bank. Two main skillsets are critical here: mastering proper presentations and zoning in on productive areas.
Like many other Massachusetts anglers, I graduated to lake trout at Wachusett after fishing for stocked trout in some of our state’s kettle ponds. After a few trips to “the ‘Chu,” I quickly realized that my lighter tackle needed an upgrade and my presentations had to be refined. Lakers scoffed at my too-light trout spoons and my casts came up short of the best-looking structure I could see on topographic maps. Salvelinus namaycush, while not of the same taxonomic families as stocked brown and rainbow trout, can be even more particular about the forage they consume and the submerged structure they frequent.
Catching the lake trout of Wachusett Reservoir requires reaching offshore structure beyond the range of a typical 5- to 6-foot small pond trout spinning rod. A rod that is 7 feet or longer and rated to cast ½- to 1-ounce metals and jigs through the stratosphere to hungry trout below is necessary. It’s common to see anglers fishing Wachusett reservoir with rods that exceed 8 feet. This is a niche fishery in our state, where longer rods built for salmon/steelhead fishing tend to be advantageous.
Personally, I use two rods and reels to throw metals and cast bait at Wachusett. I primarily fish with a moderate-action 8’6” salmon/steelhead rod rated to 1 ounce paired with a 3000-size spinning reel. This rod is well-suited to make long casts with heavier metals, epoxy jigs, and paddletail swimbaits on jigheads. It doubles as a bait rod when I throw shiners with a ½- or ¾-ounce egg sinker. I also have a fast-action 7-foot spinning rod rated up to ¾ ounce paired with a 2500-size reel. This rod is not too lengthy to be a hinderance on long hikes or when brushy areas behind the bank restrict casting space. It is rare for me to carry both rods; packing light helps with mobility.
Both of my Wachusett spinning setups are spooled with 200+ yards of 8- to 10-pound-test eight-strand, smooth and supple braided line that can cast very long distances. The thinness of “microbraid” permits crazy-long casts. This line also cuts through the water with ease. With heavier braid, line can bow in the water between the angler on shore and the lure as it rapidly descends through the water column. An 8- to 10-pound-test fluorocarbon leader helps prevent eagle-eyed lakers from detecting anything amiss in the reservoir’s crystal-clear water.
As soon as I began fishing with the proper equipment, my success rates skyrocketed. At Wachusett, every cast is critical. A cast that comes up short of a ledge won’t reach the fish that cruise below it. A lure that is too light, thrown with line too heavy to sink quickly, also won’t reach trout lurking in the depths. Because of these unique factors, using an appropriate setup and selecting proper lure and bait presentations are essential for successful fishing.
Juvenile yellow perch and small smelt can be found in the stomachs of most lakers feeding in Wachusett’s depths. At the same time, these fish are opportunistic, voracious feeders. I once spoke to an angler who claimed to have had a small laker stolen from the end of his line by a much larger, cannibalistic lake trout!
Every lake trout tackle box is incomplete without a diverse selection of long-casting metal lures. The ½-, ¾-, or 1-ounce Acme Kastmaster in the perch pattern is a Wachusett Reservoir essential. Often in the spring and fall seasons, every outfitter within a 20-mile radius of the ‘Chu is sold out of these staple lures. Similarly, slim-profiled metals such as the Swedish Pimple are excellent smelt imitators. Some anglers also have success casting slim epoxy jigs and small paddletail swimbaits to imitate the reservoir’s smelt population.
When tossing these lures, make long casts and allow the lure to sink to the bottom. Let the lure sink with the bail of your spinning reel open so that it falls in a straight line. Give the lure a quick jolt upward with a twitch of your rod to keep it away from bouldery snags on the bottom, and then begin a slow, straight retrieve. Hits may come at any point during this retrieve. Lake trout are notorious for following lures for many yards without actually striking. Sharp taps and retrieve-speed variations can sometimes elicit strikes from selective fish.
Some anglers grow tired of the monotony of constantly casting and retrieving lures. Instead, they choose to soak shiners on prominent points, ledges, and submerged structure. A typical shiner rig includes a ¾- to 1-ounce egg sinker/bead combo fished above a swivel, which is in turn tethered to a two-foot fluorocarbon leader with a light wire hook. This type of fishing involves a bit more homework when selecting spots. Fishermen using stationary bait presentations intend to intercept cruising lakers, so they must be intimately familiar with the reservoir’s structure in order to find the best place to post up with their live baits.
Wachusett Lake Trout Records
Wachusett Reservoir is a record-fish factory in Massachusetts, with the limited angler access allowing fish to grow large. As of 2025, more than seven state records, including smallmouth bass, white perch, and rainbow trout, have been caught at the Quabbin. In 2024, the state catch-and-release record was broken twice in the same week in early April.
John Stamas was fishing a football jig for smallmouth bass when a 39-inch lake trout latched on. The fish bested a 37- and 38-inch lake trout caught earlier that week—the former by Stamas’ friend and fishing partner Eli Bachour. The latter would have been the new catch-and-release record. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife later recognized Stamas’ catch as the new state catch-and-release record for lake trout.
Sometimes, the lake trout of Wachusett Reservoir hold tight to structure and can be patterned by the season. The ‘Chu is typically open to fishermen from the first weekend in April to December 31. In the spring, shallow mud flats warm quickly in the daytime sun and hold relatively warm water, translating into increased bait activity and feeding opportunities for big lake trout. Conversely, in the fall, lakers seek out the opposite type of bottom composition. During their fall spawn, lakers prefer gravel over sand or mud. In October and November, spawning lake trout deposit their eggs over these gravel bottoms.
Most often, however, lakers cannot be so closely patterned and chased along Wachusett’s shorelines without the benefit of electronics or a watercraft, which are obviously not possibilities here. The bank-bound laker angler must be adventurous, taking advantage of every subtle change in the shoreline to find fish. The most effective fishermen at Wachusett often hike just as much as they fish.
Luckily, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation makes it easy for anglers to find potentially productive areas and adjacent access points by providing a map that shows legal parking locations at reservoir gates, as well as access trails in relation to the reservoir’s best points and coves. Staying on the right side of the law is essential to preserve angling access at Wachusett for years to come. Additionally, topographic maps of the area available online allow one to see the lay of the land below the water’s surface.
Some areas of Wachusett Reservoir, directly adjacent to convenient parking areas, are hard hit by dozens of anglers daily. Adapting to angling pressure at these locations is critical should one choose to fish them. Lighten up your leader, throw unconventional lures and colors, and avoid crowding other anglers.
» Wachusett Reservoir Shoreline Access Map
Lake Trout Population Surveys at Wachusett
Since 2014, annual lake trout population surveys have been conducted by MassWildlife each fall in both Wachusett and Quabbin reservoirs. Surveys typically take place in late October or early November, when surface water temperatures hover around 55 degrees and lake trout move into shallow, rocky areas to spawn. According to Jason Stolarski, an aquatic biologist with Massachusetts DFW, “This is the only time of year when sampling efforts yield catches large enough for statistical analyses as the fish aggregate over spawning grounds. Fish will spawn over coarse rocky substrate with lots of nooks and crannies for the eggs to drop into and incubate away from predators.”
Assisted by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), fisheries biologists bundle up and head out after sunset to perform night sampling, because most laker spawning activity occurs under the cover of darkness. “When the project started, we struggled to find spawning areas which made for a lot of empty nets and long nights,” said Stolarski. “However, about five years ago we came across a former biologist’s hand-written notes tucked away in the back of a filing cabinet, which indicated a spawning area he had discovered in the 1980’s. Lo and behold, it’s still used, and we are quite efficient now.”
Gill nets are set in spawning grounds beginning at sundown and are checked every 20 to 30 minutes. Captured fish are placed in a livewell before biologists record length and weight, as well as identifying the sex of each captured fish, before implanting PIT tags. The PIT tags––which are no larger than a daily multivitamin––contain radio transponders with unique codes that allow biologists to track and identify fish that have been captured. They aim to collect 100 fish per season across 3 to 5 spawning sites. “From this, we can calculate average length at capture, relative condition (a body mass index for fish), and growth rate from recaptures of tagged fish,” said Stolarski.
Since these annual surveys began, the average length of lake trout captured over the spawning grounds is 21.1 inches. “Relative condition factor (BMI) fluctuates over time, but not drastically and appears to be stable over the period of record,” Stolarski added. “From recaptured fish our data show that lake trout grow slowly on average 11mm per year. From these data we conclude that populations at Wachusett are static, with some years length and BMI slightly above averages, and others slightly below.”
According to Stolarski, “lake trout show a high degree of spawning site fidelity with individuals consistently spawning at the same location year after year. This is beneficial for us as it enables biologists to recapture tagged fish.” Prior to release, the adipose fin of each tagged fish is clipped which, if recaptured, provides an external indicator that it has already received a PIT tag. Biologists then record updated length and weight measurements to gain a better understanding of growth rates, populations, and patterns of fish movement.
Per MassWildlife, it is not uncommon for lake trout to be recaptured ten years after being tagged. “I think one of the more interesting things we have learned is that old age does not always equate to large body size,” Stolarski noted. “The oldest lake trout we have sampled [at the Quabbin] was 24 years old and just 21.7 inches.” The vast majority of Wachusett lake trout, he said, are in the 6- to 10-year-old range, and the maximum age recorded there is 16 years old. That fish was also 21.7 inches.
“Lake trout are a slow growing long-lived species that can hunker down in cold water and do very little,” Stolarski continued. “Alternatively, some fish grow at much greater rates and reach a much larger body size at age, which most likely has to do with diet shifts away from their primary forage––smelt––to larger prey such as landlocked salmon and other lake trout.”
The last week of December 2023 at Wachusett Reservoir was a week of desperation. With two days left to target lakers before the season closed at the advent of the new year, my angling partner, Ryan, and I were forced to switch spots and tactics frequently in order to dial in a last-ditch bite. We frequented a few favorite structures with only a couple of smaller fish to show for it. With only the latter half of a day left, we tried to make the best of the brief remainder of our season by covering as much water as possible.
After a few minutes behind the wheel and some more on the trail, we arrived at the opposite side of Wachusett. Within two casts, we brought our first fish onto the bank. After just a couple more casts, we doubled up on lakers. Experimenting with different spoons, we emptied our tackle bags until we found that the slim profile of a Swedish Pimple matched the small smelt that the fish we caught spit up. We had found the fish, found their forage, and they were certainly in a feeding mood. We hit our personal bests in terms of the number of fish landed, if not in size. Ryan and I left fish biting as we walked back to our cars at dusk because fishing after dark is strictly prohibited at Wachusett.
Several factors contributed to our immense success at the very end of the laker season. First, we were not hung up on a single location or lure, and we moved to find better water in pursuit of a better bite. A single bite, or fish, does not equate to a pattern. Other stationary anglers we spoke with that day, who chose to soak shiners, found considerably fewer fish for their less-mobile efforts. Secondly, we were equipped with appropriate tackle and attire. Our rods and reels were up to the task of reaching and landing lakers from 50 yards out or more. We were dressed for the frigid December temperatures in hiking boots and insulated bibs so that we could fish comfortably no matter the cold and wet conditions.
Many Massachusetts anglers begin their spring season and finish their fall fishing at Wachusett, targeting lakers. Maintaining motivation as the season starts and fades is an exercise in perseverance. A fishless hour, day, or week at Wachusett is rewarded with the consolation prize of enjoying the amazing natural scenery this gem of central Massachusetts has to offer. Year after year, hundreds of anglers return with the very real hope that the next state record Salvelinus specimen will be at the end of their next cast.
How To Find and Catch Lake Trout From Shore in the Northeast
The Best Lake Trout Lakes by State
Massachusetts Lake Trout State Record Broken Twice in One Week
