Welcome to the Website traveler357. There are a lot of places in your area that have some good fishing. However, do not take your kids fishing in the Lawrence area. It is just not a safe place for kids...or adults fishing alone.
Are looking to go fishing in the next several weeks...or can you wait until the new year to get a MA fishing license? I would recommend waiting for the new year to purchase a license and then if you have ice fishing gear you can head out for some ice fishing. If ice fishing is not your thing then you can wait for the open water and we can point you in the right direction.
FYI in MA your license allows you to fish 365 day of the year. Some restrictions do apply to certain species of fish and some rivers and reservoirs have seasonal restrictions.
Also some waters are off limits because they are private or because the local government is protecting them.
Here is the website to get your license:
MassFishHunt