Westfield River

The Westfield River rises in the Berkshire Hills and flows through three branches (East, Middle and West) to its main stem, and 78 miles of it are a National Wild and Scenic River, prized for native trout, rugged gorges and one of the largest roadless wild areas left in Massachusetts. MassWildlife stocks it heavily each spring and fall and manages a catch-and-release stretch on the East Branch. Down in the city of Westfield, the main river is on the state's list of best bets for trophy brown and rainbow trout.

When to fish

• Spring and fall: MassWildlife stocks the main river and East Branch in Savoy, Windsor, Chesterfield, Cummington and Westfield in both seasons, and the West Branch (Becket, Middlefield, Chester and Huntington) in spring.

Where to fish

• East Branch catch-and-release area: from the Chesterfield Gorge parking lot in Chesterfield down to the gate just north of the Army Corps of Engineers lot at Knightville in Huntington. Artificial lures only, and all fish go back.
• West and Middle branches: stocked in spring, through the hill towns of Becket, Middlefield and Chester.
• The main river at Westfield: MassWildlife's trophy records put it on the best-bet list for big browns and rainbows.

Getting there

The East Branch catch-and-release water runs from the Chesterfield Gorge parking lot to the Army Corps parking lot at Knightville in Huntington. Outside that area the river follows the state's major-river trout limits. The USGS gauge at West Chesterfield shows current flows. You need a Massachusetts freshwater fishing license, and small lead sinkers and lead jigs are banned in fresh water.