Pontoosuc Lake - Pittsfield
Fishing and stocking
Stocked March to October in 2026: rainbow trout and brown trout, 4 plants in all. A 500-acre reservoir. The Massachusetts state record tiger muskellunge, 27 lbs 0 oz, came from this water in 2001.
Massachusetts · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
State record fish caught here
Certified by MassWildlife; weights shown exactly as the agency publishes them. Record book read October 2026.
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | Brown trout | completed | ||
| Apr 8 | Rainbow trout | completed | ||
| May 8 | Rainbow trout | completed | ||
| Oct 5 | Rainbow trout | completed |
When to fish Pontoosuc Lake - Pittsfield
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:29-11:29 am and 9:52-11:52 pm | 3:45-4:45 am and 4:02-5:02 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:15 am-12:15 pm and 10:39 pm-12:39 am | 4:56-5:56 am and 4:24-5:24 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 92% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Eastern Time (EDT).
What the record actually says
- Stocked 18 days ago (Oct 5)
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Massachusetts fishing forecast
Gear for this water
Stocked within the last three weeks: fish are still bunched near the release points and keyed on familiar smells.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 3 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
| Casting spoons | 1/8 to 1/4 oz in fluorescent or metallic; count down until you find the depth |
| Small crankbaits | trout-pattern cranks trolled or slow-retrieved off points |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Onota Lake - Pittsfield | 2.5 mi | Oct 6 |
| Southwest Branch Housatonic River - Pittsfield | 4.1 mi | May 6 |
| East Branch Housatonic River - Dalton | 4.3 mi | May 11 |
| East Branch Housatonic River - Hinsdale | 4.3 mi | May 11 |
| Sackett Brook - Dalton | 5.1 mi | Apr 30 |
Follow Massachusetts stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule