West Branch Swift River - New Salem
Fishing, stocking, and current conditions
Brook trout and rainbow trout water, stocked 3 times in 2026, all in May. A USGS gauge reports from this water, so the conditions card on this page is live.
Massachusetts · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Brook trout
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6 | Brook trout | completed | ||
| May 6 | Rainbow trout | completed | ||
| May 12 | Brook trout | completed |
When to fish West Branch Swift River - New Salem
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:26-11:26 am and 9:48-11:48 pm | 3:42-4:42 am and 3:58-4:58 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:12 am-12:12 pm and 10:36 pm-12:36 am | 4:52-5:52 am and 4:20-5:20 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
- Last stocked May 12
- Flow near normal for the season
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Massachusetts fishing forecast
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (brook trout stocked 2 times here in 2026, moving water)
| Waders or wet-wading boots | stocked stream fish stack in the obvious pools; getting to the next one is the edge |
| Light spinning rod | 5 to 6.5 ft light or ultralight; short rods cast under branches |
| Inline spinners | 1/16 to 1/8 oz silver or gold; swing them across the current seams |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Keyup Brook - Erving | 2.0 mi | Apr 21 |
| Lake Wyola - Shutesbury | 4.3 mi | Sep 25 |
| Quabbin Reservoir - Hardwick | 5.5 mi | Apr 15 |
| Quabbin Reservoir - New Salem | 5.5 mi | Apr 14 |
| Quabbin Reservoir - Petersham | 5.5 mi | Apr 15 |
Follow Massachusetts stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule