The Oxbow (Easthampton and Northampton)

The Oxbow is an old bend of the Connecticut River, a 231-acre horseshoe off Route 5 on the Easthampton-Northampton line that's still connected to the river. MassWildlife calls it one of the most productive and species-rich waters in the state: bass of 4 to 5 pounds are common, and pike of 10 to 20 pounds, carp of 20 to 30, walleye and bowfin all turn up. It's also busy, with boaters, water skiers and bass tournaments in summer.

When to fish

• Open water: bass, pike, walleye, carp and panfish from spring through fall. River flow changes the Oxbow's depth and clarity, so conditions shift with the Connecticut.
• Winter: The Fisherman's writer calls it one of his favorite ice-fishing spots because so many species bite that he rarely got skunked.

Where to fish

• Under the power lines: the lines cross the northern part of the Oxbow; The Fisherman's writer started there, closer to the north shore, for the most consistent action.
• The northeast corner: good jigging for panfish, with plenty of company.
• The west end near Arcadia: a hole of about 20 feet near Hulberts Pond that The Fisherman says is good for pike in open water.
• Weed edges: weeds grow thick along the shore and in the backwaters. The lake averages 8 feet and bottoms out at about 33.
• By boat: you can run to and from the Connecticut River through the passages under I-91 and Route 5, but the northeastern lobe is cut off from boats.

How to fish it

Through the ice, The Fisherman's writer set two tip-ups with a large dead bait on the bottom for pike or catfish, two more with small to medium minnows for panfish and bass, and jigged a small spoon or jigging minnow tipped with a grub or tiny minnow between flags.

Getting there

DCR runs a large concrete ramp with parking for about 32 trailers off Route 5 in Easthampton; shore fishing there is limited to the area around the ramp. Mass Audubon's Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary on Old Springfield Road has shore fishing and a cartop launch, with parking on both sides of the bridge. The north side is reached by dirt roads (Dike Road, then Potash Road) that can be rough after a thaw. There's a PFAS consumption advisory for Oxbow fish. You need a Massachusetts freshwater fishing license, and small lead sinkers and lead jigs are banned in fresh water.