French River Fishing Spot
- County: Worcester - Leicester MA
- Elevation: 890'
- Last Modified By: vinny60 on 09/11/15 07:48 PM
- Ask about French River in our Fishing Forums
Photos
Fish Species
Comments
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http://www.telegram.com/article/20120528/TOWNNEWS/120529592&TEMPLATE=TOWNPORTAL A nice short piece about the local Boy Scouts and locals cleaning up the French. 1200 lbs of trash removed. Sounds like they also cleared yhe river of downed trees from the hurricane/tornadoes tha t tore through here last fall.
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I fish and kayak the French all the time. I haven't caught any LMB over 2 lbs in at least 4 years.
The water levels vary drastically depending on the Army Corp of Engineers in Oxford's Buffumville Dam.
Kayaking this river from Oxford to Webster is about 3 miles or 2 1/2 - 3 hrs float. It moves very slow and doesnt have any major obsticals to traverse unless a tree falls.
Tons of sun turtles and snakes to be seen. Lost of small LMB cruising in the small pockets of still water that form all along the river.
Best fishing is definitely between Oxford and Webster. The upper portion of the river (Greenbriair to Buffumville Oxford) is much faster moving and has a couple beaver dams that require portage out and around. A great way to burn a few hours without a doubt. Fishing? Not anything overly special. Ive heard stories but have never seen anything for myself that would suggest this river holds anything huge.
French River Baits and Tackle
Jigs Check Prices
- surface plug. almost as big as the 2 bass caught. must be the spawning ground. ballsy little buggars...
Live Bait (Other) Check Prices
- Shiinners
- Chung's Best
- Perfect size Kivas
Crankbait Check Prices
Spinnerbait / Buzzbait Check Prices
- Fast retrieve
Plastic Swimbait Check Prices
- Senkos Black with Flakes
Kivas the little pretty ones
hahahahahah
Worm Check Prices
- junebug w/blue fleck
- short plastic worm, slow pull/fall/sit retrieve
- Gary Yamamoto™®
5inch Watermelon/Lemon
The lighting changes ALOT from summer to Autumn--So I tried something new - 5" senko
Minnow Check Prices
- Minnow. Just below ice and a foot off bottom
- live bait old school
- Chung's Best
- Small
Medium
Big Dead Pondies - large shiners on trokar hooks
French River Description
The French River is a river in south-central Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut. The river rises near Leicester, Massachusetts, and flows generally southwards through Auburn, Oxford, and Dudley; it then enters Connecticut where it joins the Quinebaug River at Thompson, just northeast of Putnam. The Quinebaug in turn flows into the Shetucket River and ultimately the Thames River to empty into the Long Island Sound. The river's total length is about 21 miles (34 km), of which 14 miles (23 km) are in Massachusetts. It drains a watershed area of about 95 square miles (250 km2), containing 67 lakes and ponds, 38 of which cover at least 10 acres (40,000 sq m). Only one lake in its basin is larger than 500 acres (2.0 km2), namely Lake Chaubunagungamaug (Webster Lake) in Webster, Massachusetts at 1,195 acres. From its Leicester source to the Webster line, the French River is pretty much hidden. It crosses a back road here and there, then slips back into the wild. It is a narrow, winding rural river that attracts mainly area fishermen and canoeists who know it. It is a river without an attitude. It emerges in lower downtown Webster for a short, urban distance, but even there it is inconspicuous, blending with its surroundings then ducking back into the woods and flowing on into Northeastern Connecticut. The river does have some well-known connections, though. Mr. Stiddem notes that 60,000 to 70,000 people a year visit Hodges Village Dam recreation area. Its northern end has high slopes and clear, cold water. The river drops 300 feet over its first eight miles through woods and fields, then only 100 feet over the rest of its course -- a mix of marshes, shrub wetlands and mixed forest. The most significant thing about the French might simply be how hard it is to reach. The river has no beaches and few public accesses. “Few people know about it or how to access it,” said John Coccia. The most popular part of the river is an eight-mile section from Greenbriar Park on Route 12 in Oxford to North Village in Webster. But the only public boat ramps are on the Army Corps of Engineers property, one above and one below Hodges Village Dam. It holds just about every fish that we have in this state, except walleye.” The river is fished along its entire length, but both the Little River and Lowes Brook are considered prime fishing spots, as are the bridges all along its length. The river is most public in Thompson, where a 12-acre riverside park and walkway was built nine years ago.
The French River is a river in south-central Massachusetts and northeastern Connecticut.