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Northern pike and tiger muskellunge fishing

Find out where to fish for northern pike and tiger muskellunge in Massachusetts.

Where to fish

Natural reproduction

Northern pike naturally reproduce in several waterbodies in the state. The natural reproduction is able to sustain the fishery in the Connecticut (including the Oxbow), Concord, Sudbury, and Housatonic (including Woods Pond) Rivers and in Pontoosuc, Onota, Buel, Cheshire, Indian, and Wequaquet Lakes.

Tiger muskellunge is a cross between a northern pike and muskellunge, and are sterile. 

Stocking

MassWildlife stocks some locations with northern pike and tiger muskellunge, which are members of the esocid family. MassWildlife does not have a warm water hatchery in which to rear esocids but usually obtains a small number of 3–12" fish each year from the New Jersey Division of Fisheries and Wildlife through a cooperative exchange program. They are stocked in selected Massachusetts waters with sufficient habitat to support them. It takes 3–5+ years for them to attain the 28" minimum legal length. Stocking information is listed in the tables below.

Northern pike and tiger muskellunge stocked waters

Town Water # Acres Years stocked with northern pike Years stocked with tiger muskellunge
Arlington Spy Pond 103   2001, 2015
Bridgewater Nippenicket Lake 354   2003, 2004
Brookfield Quaboag Pond 531 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023  
Cheshire Cheshire Reservoir 418 2006, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021  
Concord Concord River N/A 2000  
Fall River South Watuppa Pond 1283   2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006
Framingham Cochituate Lake 559   2000, 2002, 2004
Hinsdale Ashmere Lake 217   2000
Holland Hamilton Reservoir 249 2000  
Holland Holland Pond 65 2000, 2007, 2008  
Monterey Buel Lake 194 2006, 2023  
Natick Charles River N/A 2000  
New Salem Rohunta Lake 250 2006  
Pittsfield Pontoosuc Lake 467   2000–2006, 2015
Sharon Massapoag Lake 353   2003, 2004
Shrewsbury/ Worcester Quinsigamond Lake, Newton Pond, Flint Pond 475 2002, 2004, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022 2003, 2004, 2006
Sturbridge East Brimfield Reservoir 420 2002, 2006–2008 2000
Taunton Sabbatia Lake 237   2006
Tyngsboro Mascopic Lake 209   2000–2004
Westborough Lake Chauncy 177 2002, 2003, 2005 2002–2004, 2015
Westborough Assabet Reservoir #1 333 2001–2003 2000, 2004, 2015
Westfield Hampton Ponds 198   2000–2004, 2015

Contact   for Northern pike and tiger muskellunge fishing

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