During March and April, the ice covering the lakes and ponds of the Bay State slowly melts away.

Come ice-out, largemouth and smallmouth bass begin to move about and feed voraciously to prepare for their upcoming spawning season.

Bass anglers in Massachusetts can capitalize on this activity by visiting one of the following fishing spots:

UPPER MYSTIC LAKE
Many anglers overlook the bass-fishing potential of the ponds and lakes situated in large cities.

But Upper Mystic Lake in Winchester, only five miles from downtown Boston, offers anglers some excellent action for largemouth bass.

In spite of its urban setting, this 200-acre lake has been spared some of the development blight that plagues neighboring ponds.

Even so, the northern and western shorelines are highly developed. The eastern and southern shorelines are protected by a park managed by the Metropolitan District Commission.

Shore-bound anglers will find plenty of fishing spots within the park. Boaters may launch cartops at a small ramp on the pond's extreme southern tip.

This pond is surprisingly deep for its size, with a center basin about 80 feet deep and an average depth of 40 feet. Its northern end is shallow and typically weedy. In summer, lily pads also form a patchwork of bass habitat along the lake's western shore across from the park.

The water is highly stained, so dark lures and rattling baits come highly recommended. Alewives and golden shiners are the main forage base for the bass, so choose lures accordingly.

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife reports that the bass fishery in Upper Mystic Lake has the potential to produce quality fish. This is primarily due to restrictive fishing pressure. Most fishing pressure comes from shoreline anglers, so the bass residing in the center of the pond remain unmolested and can grow quite large.

Upper Mystic Lake lies off Exit 31 from Interstate Route 93.

From the exit, take Route 38 north toward West Medford. Route 38 makes a sharp right turn about three miles from the highway exit.

Don't make the turn! Go straight and watch for the Mystic Valley Parkway signs. This road runs along the eastern shoreline of the lake and through the park.

TISPIQUIN POND
Anglers looking to stay near Boston but who want to fish away from city noise should visit Tispiquin Pond in Middleborough. The pond is small at 194 acres and shallow, with a maximum depth of eight feet and an average depth of seven feet.

Tispiquin Pond has a relatively flat weedy bottom with some piles of rocky rubble. Weed growth around these rocks is patchy. (Savvy anglers know that such spots often produce the best action.)

Also, the water clarity is very good. Clear water often translates to great topwater action. This spring, add a few floating jerkbaits and topwater twitch baits to your bass fishing arsenal. Golden shiners are abundant, so lures mimicking these fish should produce the desired results.

Anglers will find about three miles of shoreline with moderate development. Along with the usual cottages and houses, several camps occupy the shoreline and during the early spring season should still be idle, affording anglers some peaceful fishing.

Access comes from a small state-owned car-top boat ramp on the pond's southern end.

Take Exit 3 off I-495 onto Route 28 north.

About one mile from the rotary at the junction of routes 28 and 25, turn right onto Rocky Gutter Road, and then take the first left on Eldan Street, which ends at the access area.