This weekend, June 7 and 8, Massachusetts residents will be able to enjoy fishing at any public lake, pond, reservoir, stream or river in the state without a license as part of Mass Wildlife’s annual Free Freshwater Fishing Weekend.
The purpose of the event is to give Mass residents some incentive to get their feet wet, literally, by opening up all fresh waters in the state to free fishing, without the need for a license. This will hopefully, lead to the discovery of fishing as a potential new hobby without having to put any license fees on the table. In an effort to bolster the likelihood of someone discovering a new love for the sport, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DMF) will be conducting several rounds of trout stocking across the state, you can find the nearest stocked waters near you by visiting: www.mass.gov/info-details/trout-stocking-report.
The free fishing is open all weekend long, from June 7 through June 8 and applies to any public freshwater space. If you’re not sure where to start, MassWildlife provides a digital map on its website marking hundreds of potential fishing spots. All other fishing laws, including size and bag limits, legal fishing areas and waterbodies with lead prohibitions, will still need to be followed by all anglers fishing in state waters. And this opportunity is open to residents and non-residents, alike.
Who Needs a License in Mass?
On a normal weekend, a fishing license is required for anyone 15 years of age or older including seniors and fishing licenses need to be renewed every year. There are two types of fishing licenses — freshwater and saltwater — and both can be purchased online and are required for anyone 15 and older.
For most people, a freshwater fishing license will cost $33 if you’re a state resident and $43 for non-residents. For teens between 15 to 17 and senior citizens over 70, licenses are free, and those between 65 and 69 are issued a discount at $16.50. Just visiting? For $15 you can also purchase a three-day permit.
Massachusetts has a lot to offer the freshwater angler, with two world-class reservoir fisheries in Wachusett and Quabbin, pristine rivers, hundreds of trout-stocked waters, red hot largemouth bass fishing throughout the state, and productive ponds in nearly every town, anglers really should take full advantage of this free opportunity to enjoy all that freshwater fishing in the Bay State has to offer.
