Fish in Acton Streams
One of the long term goals of the Acton Stream Teams is to gather/make available information on fish in our local streams…
Information provided by MA Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.

Stocking Information:
Both Fort Pond Brook and Nashoba Brook in Acton are stocked with trout each spring by the MA Department of Fish and Wildlife. Other fish species also live in Acton streams.
Fish size, species, number, and timing of stocking depend on the weather etc. and may vary from year to year. The F&W website, www.state.ma.us/dfwele/dfw, provides anglers and others with weekly updates on stocking, by district. (The website does not provide length and number data, although F&W does maintain that data.)
2004 Stocked April 15, 2004
1000 rainbow trout in Fort Pond Brook
500 rainbow trout in Nashoba Brook
Fish size: 9 inches or longer

Stocked May 21, 2004
500 Eastern Brook Trout in Nashoba Brook
Fish size: 9 inches or longer
2003 Stocked May 5, 2003
300-500 fish each in Fort Pond Brook & Nashoba Brook
9-12 inch Brown Trout
(Brown trout can tolerate warmer temperatures, and lower water/less flow.)
2002 Stocked: April 18, 2002,
650 fish. in Fort Pond Brook; Nashoba Brook was also stocked.
Combination of Brook Trout and Brown Trout
Approximately 9 inches long
(With recent drought conditions F&W has been releasing more fish at a younger age, than in previous years.)

Stocking sites
Fish are stocked at stream areas easily accessible by a truck. In most cases this is where a road crosses the stream. (Fish are distributed fairly evenly between sites, although not every spot may be stocked every time.) Anglers should always be safety conscious, especially near roads.
Fort Pond Brook Stocking Sites
(Upstream to downstream)		 Fort Pond Brook @:
Central St.
Arlington St.
Route 111
Central St.
Martin Rd.
Liberty St.
River St. by Chadwick St.
River Street
Lawsbrook Road
Nashoba Brook Stocking Sites
(Upstream to downstream)		 Nashoba Brook @:
Route 27
Carlisle Road
Wheeler Lane
Great Road/Rte 2A-119 (by railroad crossing)
Brook Street
Concord Road
Wetherbee Street
Route 2 (only occasionally stocked; safety concerns for anglers)
Survival Rate Most stocked trout are harvested in spring and early summer. Small numbers of stocked fish survive year round.

Other Fish Species
The true Massachusetts native species that exist in Acton streams include: Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel, Redfin Pickerel, White Sucker, American Eel, Brown Bullhead, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Banded Sunfish, Golden Shiner and Eastern Brook Trout. In addition to the Eastern Brook Trout that are stocked by F&W in Fort Pond Brook and Nashoba Brook, there are wild populations of Eastern Brook Trout in Acton streams. These wild populations are generally found in the headwaters or tributaries of the Fort Pond Brook/Nashoba Brook watershed.

Introduced fish species include: Largemouth Bass, Bluegills, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, and Yellow Bullhead.
As part of their StreamWatch Project, the Organization for the Assabet River has included photos and descriptions of fish found in our local streams on their website. This OAR webpage also includes a link to a pictoral tour of Nashoba Brook.

Fish Sampling by F&W
Field sampling was conducted by Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife biologists in Nashoba Brook and Fort Pond Brook in 1979, and in Nagog Brook, Guggins Brook, and Nashoba Brook in 2000. The data collected included fish species identification, number, and length, and water and air temperature.
1979 Fish sampled in 1979 included : Largemouth Bass, Yellow Bullhead, Chain Pickerel, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, White Sucker, Golden Shiner, American Eel, Banded Sunfish, Redfin Pickerel, and Yellow Perch.
2000 Fish sampled in 2000 included: American Eel, Bluegill, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Chain Pickerel, Golden Shiner, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Redfin Pickerel, and White Sucker. Numerous crayfish were encountered in Guggins Brook and Nashoba Brook.
At the request of the Acton Stream Teams, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife offered a slide show and public presentation in Acton on June 1, 2000, in order to make more current information on Acton fisheries available to the public. This presentation was videotaped, and shown on the local Cable TV station. The Acton Stream Teams have a videotaped copy of the presentation. Please contact us at info@actonstreams.org for more information.