Housatonic River
The rule for this water, with the receipt.
Special regulations for Housatonic River, as the state words them
MA County · River · MA
The rules for this water, verbatimOfficial text
Straight from MA's official regulations. Rules in force today lead; out-of-season rows are dimmed. Nothing is paraphrased. Not legal advice: verify the posted rules at the water.
- TroutJan. 1 – Dec. 31Daily limit 1Size 20Mainstem Housatonic only, from the confluence of the East and West Branches to the border between MA and CT, except catch-and-release areas where no trout may be kept.
- All fishDaily limit Catch and release onlyGear Only artificial lures may be usedBait You may not possess any type of baitNo fishing is allowed from June 15-Aug. 31 within 100 feet of the mouths of Beartown Brook, Goose Pond Brook, Hop Brook, and Mohawk Brook.
- All fishDaily limit Catch and release onlyGear Only artificial lures may be usedBait You may not possess any type of bait
- All fishJune 15–Aug. 31 - does not apply todayNo fishing is allowed during this period within 100 feet of the mouths of these brooks.
Statewide base layerParsed
These defaults apply where the rules above do not modify them.
- Season
- All Other Freshwater Species 9 Jan. 1 – Dec. 31Statewide
- Gear
- Only artificial lures may be usedThis water
- Bait
- You may not possess any type of baitThis water
- Poles
- Not captured yet - consult the statewide regulations
Where the verbatim rules above name a species, season, or limit, they replace the rows below. Each row is tagged with the layer it comes from.
| Species | Daily limit | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
Landlocked Salmon | 2 | min. 15 | Statewide |
Chain Pickerel | 5 | min. 15 | Statewide |
Black Bass | 5 | min. 12 | Statewide |
Northern Pike | 1 | min. 28 | Statewide |
Tiger Muskellunge | 1 | min. 28 | Statewide |
Walleye | 5 | min. 14 | Statewide |
Smelt | — | - | Statewide |
All Other Freshwater Species | — | - | Statewide |
Frogs (except leopard frogs) | 10 | min. 2.5 inches or less snout to vent | Statewide |
Bullfrog, green frog | 12 | min. none | Statewide |
Snapping turtle | 2 | min. 12 in. | Statewide |
How this answer was assembled
- StatewideStatewide river rules are the base layer: default season, gear, bait, and limits.
- This waterSpecial rules written for this exact water replace the statewide defaults where they speak.
- Emergency orderEmergency orders in effect today override everything else. They sync quietly when the phone has coverage and never lock you out of the app.
Where this section begins and ends
This water is not yet drawn on the map. Its rules are captured and receipted; the geometry ledger records exactly why it is not drawn (an ambiguous name match or a gap in the source data), and it will never ship as a guess. Each rule above describes in the state's own words where it applies, and those written descriptions are the authoritative boundaries.
Season at a glanceDerived
Sampled mid-month from the dated rows; short windows can slip between samples. The rows above are authoritative.
What are you fishing for here?Advice
Pick from the species named in Housatonic River's rules. Setups are checked against the gear rules in force today, and your picks are remembered on this device only. These are rule-aware suggestions, not a claim about what is biting; advice, not law, and the rules above govern.
You also need (Massachusetts)
- Freshwater fishing license (age 15 and older). Anyone age 15 or older needs a license to fish fresh water. The license is free for Massachusetts residents 15 to 17 years old and for those 70 and over.
- Must be carried, expires Dec. 31. You have to have the license on you while fishing, either printed or on your phone, and show a clear image of it if asked. Licenses run out at the end of each calendar year.
Checked against MassWildlife (Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife), "Who needs a freshwater fishing license?", Mass.gov on Aug. 4, 2026.
Receipts
Local services near Housatonic River
Tackle shops, guides, and boat launches that serve this water will appear here - a separate lane below the rules, so a local business can reach you without ever getting between you and the regulation.
Run a shop or guide service on Housatonic River? Get listed.