Quabbin Reservoir - The best kept secret in Massachusetts

The best kept secret in Massachusetts... This is by far and away my favorite part of the state. Cape Cod has its sandy dunes, Cape Ann the quaintness of the Maine seashore, and the Berkshires the backroads charm of Vermont. However, if you are looking for a place to experience Massachusetts as a wilderness area, I highly suggest that you spend some time in and around the Quabbin Reservoir. If you look at a map of the state, and see an enormous fingerlike lake in the middle of it, that is the Quabbin. Bordered today by intriguing small towns such as Ware, New Salem, and Hardwick, there are plenty of woods, meadows, and hillscapes to explore. During the 1920's it became apparent that Eastern Massachusetts did not have a large enough water supply to satisfy its growing needs for water. Thirsty Eastern Massachusetts inhabitants looked westward to the Swift River 100 miles away. The Swift River flowed through some small towns nestled in the Swift River valley. Through a series of "buyouts" the inhabitants of these towns were tossed out of their homes in preparation for construction of a reservoir. Houses were bulldozed, bodies dug up (except for Native Americans), factories demolished and millions acres of trees were cut down. Four towns: Dana, Enfield, Greenwich and Prescott were "discontinued" and seven other towns were altered. A half mile long dam was built on the Swift River in Belchertown MA, and one of the longest tunnels in the world was constructed to carry the water a hundred miles to the east. Flooding of the valley started in mid August 1939 and in 1946 the reservior was filled to capacity ( 412 billion gallons.) Nearly 40 square miles were covered with water. The new reservoir was named after a Native American chief of a local tribe. The chief's name was Nani-Quaben. The name, which was given to a hill in Enfield and a lake in Greenwich means " well watered place." Fishing Quabbin is a wonderful experience. Its beauty and relative solitude contribute greatly to the already wonderful pastime of fishing. Fish species include, Largemouth and Smallmouth bass, Lake Trout, Salmon, Chain Pickerel, White and Yellow Perch, Crappie, Rock Bass, Bluegill, and Bullhead. Action can be outstanding especially in Spring when the Smallies are in pre-spawn.