Public access may be found off Tyringham Road in the town of Monterey. Shore fishing is impossible because of private ownership. To get to Garfield Lake, take Route 8 into Otis. Turn west onto Route 23. From Monterey center, turn right onto Tyringham Road to the ramp.

Lake Pearl
Spring bass anglers will find this 212-acre lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet with an average depth 12 feet. Its waters are fairly clear, and the bottom is sandy. Aquatic vegetation is surprisingly thin.

The state manages this pond for trout, stocking several thousand fish into its waters every year. Despite its reputation as a trout water, Lake Pearl contains an abundance of largemouth bass, pickerel and panfish.

The better spring bass fishing is found along the western shore where the water is shallower and the shoreline terrain features numerous points. Anglers should also make a few casts around the two islands. The shoals around the islands give the bass easy access to deep water.

Golden shiners and other forage species give the bass their nourishment. Anglers using minnow-shaped lures should have good luck. Also expect to catch chain pickerel and white perch.

Public access and parking are available thanks to a town-operated gravel ramp off Gilmore Street. Ramp usage is very high during the summer and shortly after the trout-stocking trucks leave. Bass anglers should plan their Pearl Lake visits accordingly.

To get there, take Exit 16 off I-495 onto Route 1A north. Turn north onto Route 121 toward Wrentham, then turn west onto Route 140 for about 1.5 miles to Gilmore Street on the left. The ramp is a quarter mile south of Route 140.

Massachusetts’s resident fishing license fees are $27.50 for the season. Non-resident license fees cost $37.50 for the season, or $23.50 for a three- day permit. Also, all anglers between the ages of 15 and 17 need an $11.50 Junior Fishing Permit.

For fishing and licensing information, contact the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, 100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02202; or call (617) 626-1590. For tourism information, write to the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 4510, Boston, MA 02116; or call 1-800-227-MASS.

RHODE ISLAND
Indian Lake
Bass anglers in Rhode Island often find themselves restricted to small lakes. Finding a publicly accessible lake or pond over 50 aces is often difficult. But in South Kingston, bass seekers will find 221-acre Indian Lake, one of the state’s bigger lakes.

The lake is relatively shallow, with a maximum depth of 9 feet and a 7-foot average depth, making Indian Lake an ideal place to fish during the early season when the spring sun warms the water.

Don’t let the shallow waters fool you. What the lake lacks in water depth, it more than makes up for with its thriving largemouth population. Anglers who frequent the lake and fisheries personnel report that bass growth rates are above the state’s average. Part of the reason is the bass feed heavily on golden shiner, killifish and small yellow perch.