Awards for freshwater fish are offered in 22 categories. Each qualified entry receives a bronze pin. Largest fish in each category each year receives a “gold” pin and plaque. There is also an annual “Angler of the Year” award for the person who has taken the greatest variety of “pinfish” during the year. Fish must meet minimum weight requirements listed below, and must be weighed on a scale certified by the Massachusetts Division of Standards or a town official. Please check our website for a list of weigh stations and/or to download an affidavit. This information is also available at DFW offices.
Freshwater Sportfishing Awards
Current Minimum Weights
|
Species |
Adult |
Youth |
|
Broodstock Salmon |
10 lbs. 0 ozs. |
5 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Brook trout |
2 lbs. 0 ozs. |
1 lb. 0 ozs. |
|
Brown trout |
4 lbs. 0 ozs. |
2 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Bullhead |
2 lbs. 0 ozs. |
1 lb. 0 ozs. |
|
Carp |
15 lbs. 0 ozs. |
10 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Chain pickerel |
4 lbs. 8 ozs. |
3 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Channel catfish |
6 lbs. 0 ozs. |
5 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Crappie |
1 lb. 8 ozs. |
1 lb. 0 ozs. |
|
Lake trout |
7 lbs. 0 ozs. |
5 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Landlocked salmon 1 |
4 lbs. 0 ozs. |
3 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Largemouth bass |
7 lbs. 0 ozs. |
4 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Northern pike |
15 lbs. 0 ozs. |
10 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Rainbow trout |
3 lbs. 0 ozs. |
2 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Shad |
5 lbs. 0 ozs. |
3 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Smallmouth bass |
4 lbs. 8 ozs. |
3 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Sunfish2 |
0 lbs. 12 ozs. |
0 lbs. 8 ozs. |
|
Tiger muskie |
10 lbs. 0 ozs. |
7 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
Tiger trout |
2 lbs. 0 ozs. |
1 lb. 0 ozs. |
|
Walleye |
4 lbs. 0 ozs. |
2 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
White catfish |
4 lbs. 0 ozs. |
2 lbs. 0 ozs. |
|
White perch |
1 lb. 8 ozs. |
1 lb. 0 ozs. |
|
Yellow perch |
1 lb. 8 ozs. |
1 lb. 0 ozs. |
- Landlocked Salmon are recognized only from Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs.
- Sunfish category includes bluegills, pumpkinseeds, redbreast sunfish, green and rock bass.
Massachusetts Freshwater Sportfishing Records
|
Species |
Weight |
Water |
Year |
|
American shad |
11 lbs. 4 ozs. |
Connecticut River |
1986 |
|
Broodstock Salmon |
22 lbs. 15 ozs. |
Lake Mattawa, Orange |
1997 |
|
Brook trout |
10 lbs. 0 ozs. |
Ashfield Lake, Ashfield |
2008 |
|
Brown trout |
19 lbs. 10 ozs. |
Wachusett Reservoir |
1966 |
|
Bullhead |
6 lbs. 4 ozs. |
Forest Lake, Methuen |
2008 |
|
Carp |
44 lbs. 2 ozs. |
Connecticut River |
1993 |
|
Chain pickerel |
9 lbs. 5 ozs. |
Laurel Lake, Lee |
1954 |
|
Channel catfish |
26 lbs. 8 ozs. |
Ashfield Lake, Ashfield |
1989 |
|
Crappie |
4 lbs. 10 ozs. |
Jake’s Pond, Plymouth |
1980 |
|
Lake trout |
24 lbs. 0 ozs. |
Wachusett Reservoir |
2004 |
|
Landlocked salmon |
10 lbs. 2 ozs. |
Wachusett Reservoir |
1985 |
|
Largemouth bass |
15 lbs. 8 ozs. |
Sampson Pond, Carver |
1975 |
|
Northern pike |
35 lbs. 0 ozs. |
South Pond, Brookfield |
1988 |
|
Rainbow trout |
13 lbs. 13 ozs. |
Wachusett Reservoir |
1999 |
|
Smallmouth bass |
8 lbs. 2 ozs. |
Wachusett Reservoir |
1991 |
|
Sunfish |
2 lbs. 1 ozs. |
South Athol Pond, Athol |
1982 |
|
Tiger muskellunge |
27 lbs. 0 ozs. |
Lake Pontoosuc, Pittsfield |
2001 |
|
Tiger trout |
9 lbs. 7 ozs. |
Peter’s Pond, Sandwich |
2004 |
|
Walleye |
11 lbs. 0 ozs. |
Quabbin Reservoir |
1975 |
|
White catfish |
9 lbs. 3 ozs. |
Baddacook Pond, Groton |
1987 |
|
White perch |
3 lbs. 5 ozs. |
Wachusett Reservoir |
1994 |
|
Yellow perch |
2 lbs. 12 ozs. |
South Watuppa Pond, Fall River |
1979 |
2011 Freshwater Sportfishing Award winners
(2012 data not complete at press time)
|
Adult Gold Pin Winners |
Youth Gold Pin Winners |
|||||
|
Species |
Weight |
Water |
Winner |
Weight |
Water |
Winner |
|
Broodstock Salmon |
18 lbs. 6 ozs. |
Comet Pond, Hubbardston |
Dave Ago, Worcester |
16 lbs. 8 ozs. |
Comet Pond, Hubbardston |
Benjamin Benoit, Templeton |
|
Brook trout |
3 lbs. 6 ozs. |
Walden Pond, Concord |
Brian Marchand, Tyngsboro |
2 lbs. 2 ozs. |
Nine Mile Pond, Wilbraham |
Jack Calcidise, East Longmeadow |
|
Brown trout |
13 lbs. 1 oz. |
Walden Pond, Concord |
Chastity Puchtler, Waltham |
4 lbs. 6 ozs. |
Mashpee-Wakeby Pond, Mashpee |
Shawn Deane, Forestdale |
|
Bullhead |
3 lbs. 14 ozs. |
Round Pond, Haverhill |
Roger Aziz, Jr., Methuen |
4 lbs. 10 ozs. |
Sawdy Pond, Westport |
Brandon Costa, |
|
Carp |
31 lbs. 3 ozs. |
Connecticut River, Hatfield |
Richard Banasieski, Hatfield |
23 lbs. 8 ozs. |
Connecticut River, Montague |
Logan Emerson, Greenfield |
|
Chain pickerel |
6 lbs. 14 ozs. |
Wachusett Reservoir, West Boylston |
Kimberly Beauchesne, Spencer |
6 lbs. 6 ozs. |
Laurel Lake, Lee |
Michael Wheaton, Jr., Pittsfield |
|
Channel catfish |
18 lbs. 3 ozs. |
Connecticut River, Hadley |
Kerry Fisher, Jr., Chicopee |
14 lbs. 10 ozs. |
Connecticut River, Hatfield |
Douglas Enko, Haydenville |
|
Crappie |
3 lbs. 5 ozs. |
Indian Hill Reservoir, West Newbury |
Bret Twombly, Rowley |
3 lbs. 5 ozs. |
Connecticut River, Hatfield |
Matt Ziomek, Amherst |
|
Lake trout |
17 lbs. 5 ozs. |
Wachusett Reservoir, West Boylston |
Samuel Lent, Millbury |
12 lbs. 0 ozs. |
Quabbin Reservoir |
Joe Roman, Holland |
|
Landlocked salmon |
8 lbs. 4 ozs. |
Quabbin Reservoir |
Thomas Watson, Chicopee |
7 lbs. 3 ozs. |
Quabbin Reservoir |
Chloe Wright, Athol |
|
Largemouth bass |
8 lbs. 10 ozs. |
John’s Pond, Mashpee |
Matthew LeBlanc, Rockland |
6 lbs. 4 ozs. |
Pratt Pond, Upton |
Mason Consigli, Upton |
|
Northern pike |
29 lbs. 8 ozs. |
Onota Lake, Pittsfield |
Jason Sniezek |
15 lbs. 14 ozs. |
Onota Lake, Pittsfield |
Austin Cancilla, Pittsfield |
|
Rainbow trout |
4 lbs. 12 ozs. |
Comet Pond, Hubbardston |
Andy Femino, Barre |
3 lbs. 8 ozs. |
Quabbin Reservoir |
Haley Jean, New Salem |
|
Shad |
5 lbs. 3 ozs. |
Indian Head River, Pembroke |
Allan Scally, Plymouth |
4 lbs. 8 ozs. |
Connecticut River, Springfield |
Eliot Madison, |
|
Smallmouth bass |
6 lbs. 11 ozs. |
Quabbin Reservoir |
Evan Brown, Ware |
5 lbs. 8 ozs. |
Wachusett Reservoir, West Boylston |
Brenden Fuller, Millbury |
|
Sunfish |
1 lb. 7 ozs. |
Mattawa Lake, Orange |
Adelino Goncalves, Chicopee |
1 lb. 5 ozs. |
Long Pond, Lakeville |
Zachary Lemieux, Acushnet |
|
Tiger muskie |
16 lbs. 5 ozs. |
Spy Pond, Arlington |
John Wallace, Arlington |
no youth entries |
||
|
Tiger trout |
3 lbs. 12 ozs. |
Sheep Pond, Brewster |
Philip Henderson, North Attleboro |
3 lbs. 4 ozs. |
Peter’s Pond, Sandwich |
Matthew Crowther, Somerville |
|
Walleye |
7 lbs. 7 ozs. |
Connecticut River, Montague |
Kenneth Welch, Chicopee |
6 lbs. 10 ozs. |
Connecticut River, Montague |
Trevor Lapinski, Montague |
|
White catfish |
6 lbs. 11 ozs. |
Mashpee-Wakeby Pond, Mashpee |
Eddie Lemieux, Acushnet |
3 lbs. 13 ozs. |
Charles River, Boston |
Danny Grafton, Jr., Weymouth |
|
White perch |
3 lbs. 0 ozs. |
Middle Pond, Marston’s Mills |
Jeff Capute, Centerville |
3 lbs. 1 oz. |
Santuit Pond, Mashpee |
Alex Avila, Sandwich |
|
Yellow perch |
2 lbs. 8 ozs. |
Shubael Pond, Marston’s Mills |
Jeff Capute, Centerville |
1 lb. 12 ozs. |
Wequaquet Lake, Barnstable |
Thaddeus O’Dell, Barre |
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