Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut River Boat Launch - Northfield Mass DCR | Access / boat ramp | 42.71557, -72.45260 | State concrete ramp at the head of the Massachusetts river, reached from Pauchaug Ramp Road. MassGIS records one lane, about 32 trailer spaces and a shallow draft. |
| 2 | New England Central Railroad bridge Palmer Subdivision | Bridge crossing | 42.70618, -72.45913 | The only rail crossing on the upper Massachusetts reach. |
| 3 | King Phillip's Hill | Park / conservation area | 42.68497, -72.47691 | Conservation land on the right bank below Northfield. |
| 4 | Northfield Mountain Riverview Picnic Area | Park / conservation area | 42.61442, -72.47842 | Picnic area above Barton Cove, run with the Northfield Mountain pumped-storage station. |
| 5 | French King Bridge (MA 2) MassDOT | Bridge crossing | 42.59773, -72.49675 | Cantilever highway bridge over the French King gorge; the two MA 2 carriageway ways 60 m away are folded in here. |
| 6 | Cabot Camp Access Northfield | Access / boat ramp | 42.59641, -72.49678 | Canoe and kayak access point on the right bank, tagged in OSM as a waterway access point rather than a ramp. |
| 7 | Barton Cove Campground FirstLight Power | Campsite | 42.60302, -72.53720 | Riverside campground on Barton Cove, the impoundment above Turners Falls Dam. |
| 8 | Gill Boat Launch - Barton Cove Mass DCR | Access / boat ramp | 42.60759, -72.54178 | Two-lane state concrete ramp on Barton Cove with about 45 trailer spaces; the main launch above Turners Falls Dam. |
| 9 | Unity Park Turners Falls | Park / conservation area | 42.60642, -72.55179 | Riverside town park at Turners Falls. |
| 10 | Turners Falls Canal Headgates | Dam / hazard | 42.61039, -72.55397 | Head of the power canal. The river above here is Barton Cove. |
| 11 | Connecticut River Greenway State Park - Turners Falls Mass DCR | Park / conservation area | 42.60995, -72.55521 | DCR's linear greenway along the river. OSM carries it as about two dozen separate polygons under one name; three are shipped, one per reach. |
| 12 | Turners Falls Dam | Dam / hazard | 42.61101, -72.55160 | Main-stem dam. Portage the whole Turners Falls complex; the bypass reach below it can run very low. |
| 13 | Gill-Montague Bridge | Bridge crossing | 42.61148, -72.55188 | |
| 14 | Turners Falls Road / Fifth Street | Bridge crossing | 42.60945, -72.56178 | Two adjoining OSM ways 60 m apart, condensed to one crossing. |
| 15 | Turners Falls Number 1 Dam | Dam / hazard | 42.60561, -72.56441 | Second dam in the Turners Falls complex. |
| 16 | Rocky Mountain Conservation Land | Park / conservation area | 42.59825, -72.58409 | Conservation land on the right bank at Montague. |
| 17 | USGS S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Center US Geological Survey | Agency / conservation office | 42.59144, -72.58019 | Federal anadromous-fish research station beside the Turners Falls canal; three OSM polygons condensed to one. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Cabot Station Power Plant Dam FirstLight Power | Dam / hazard | 42.58785, -72.57886 | Powerhouse dam at the foot of the canal. An unnamed dam way 100 m off is part of the same structure. |
| 19 | Montague City Road | Bridge crossing | 42.58052, -72.57960 | |
| 20 | FirstLight Hydro portage access FirstLight Power | Access / boat ramp | 42.57966, -72.57646 | Marked portage access around the Turners Falls canal and dam complex. |
| 21 | Canalside Rail Trail | Bridge crossing | 42.57949, -72.57479 | Former railroad bridge, now the Canalside Rail Trail crossing. |
| 22 | USGS streamgauge - Connecticut River at Montague City USGS | USGS gauge | 42.58022, -72.57450 | The flow reference for the whole Massachusetts river. Read it before you go; this river is big water and the Turners Falls releases move it. |
| 23 | Berkshire and Eastern Railroad bridge - Montague | Bridge crossing | 42.56237, -72.55615 | Two rail ways 1 m apart, the Freight Main Line and the Montague Industrial Track, condensed to one crossing. |
| 24 | Bitzer State Fish Hatchery Mass DFW | Agency / conservation office | 42.55979, -72.54915 | State trout hatchery on Hatchery Brook above the river; three OSM polygons condensed to one. |
| 25 | Hatchery Brook Primitive Campsite Appalachian Mountain Club | Campsite | 42.55689, -72.55435 | Primitive riverside campsite on the AMC's Connecticut River paddlers' trail. |
| 26 | Connecticut River Access - upper Sunderland parcel | Access / boat ramp | 42.53820, -72.56193 | State access parcel. OSM carries the name Connecticut River Access on several separate parcels along this river; this is the upper of two about 800 m apart. |
| 27 | Connecticut River Access - lower Sunderland parcel | Access / boat ramp | 42.53114, -72.56537 | Lower of the two same-named access parcels above Sunderland. |
| 28 | Third Island Unit US Fish and Wildlife Service | Park / conservation area | 42.52223, -72.56673 | Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge unit on an island in the river. |
| 29 | Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation Mass DCR | Park / conservation area | 42.47965, -72.58683 | State reservation on the bluff above the river at Sunderland. 0.80 km off the water, kept because it is a state unit on this corridor. |
| 30 | Sunderland Boat Launch Town of Sunderland | Access / boat ramp | 42.46769, -72.58331 | Town concrete ramp. MassGIS records about eight trailer and six car spaces, with overflow parking at the library, town hall and School Street. |
| 31 | Sunderland Road (MA 116) | Bridge crossing | 42.46784, -72.58567 | |
| 32 | Whately Oaks Primitive Campsite Appalachian Mountain Club | Campsite | 42.45861, -72.59053 | Primitive riverside campsite on the AMC paddlers' trail. |
| 33 | Connecticut River Greenway State Park - Hatfield Mass DCR | Park / conservation area | 42.39964, -72.58127 | Second of the three greenway points, in the Hatfield reach. |
| 34 | Hatfield Boat Launch Mass DCR | Access / boat ramp | 42.39400, -72.59006 | State gravel ramp. MassGIS records one lane and about eight trailer spaces. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Connecticut River Access - North Hadley | Access / boat ramp | 42.38122, -72.59253 | Named state access parcel on the left bank at North Hadley. |
| 36 | River Access - Hadley | Access / boat ramp | 42.35512, -72.58742 | Named access parcel on the left bank above the MA 9 crossing. |
| 37 | Alexandra Dawson Conservation Area Town of Hadley | Park / conservation area | 42.34922, -72.59607 | Conservation area on the left bank with its own parking off the river road. |
| 38 | Elwell State Park Mass DCR | Park / conservation area | 42.33936, -72.62449 | Riverside state park at Northampton beside the rail-trail bridge. |
| 39 | Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge | Bridge crossing | 42.33658, -72.61952 | Former railroad bridge carrying the Norwottuck Rail Trail across the river. |
| 40 | Russell Street (MA 9) | Bridge crossing | 42.33699, -72.61716 | |
| 41 | Rainbow Beach Natural Heritage Area | Park / conservation area | 42.32365, -72.58923 | Natural heritage area on the left bank at Hadley. |
| 42 | Sheperds Island | Park / conservation area | 42.31683, -72.59439 | Protected island in the river below Hadley. |
| 43 | Mill River Division US Fish and Wildlife Service | Park / conservation area | 42.29932, -72.61596 | Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge unit at the Mill River confluence. |
| 44 | Oxbow Boat Launch - Easthampton Mass DCR | Access / boat ramp | 42.28842, -72.61830 | State concrete ramp on the Oxbow. MassGIS records one lane and about 32 trailer spaces. |
| 45 | Brunelles Marina ramp | Access / boat ramp | 42.26307, -72.60112 | Marina ramp above Holyoke Dam, tagged in OSM as customer access. |
| 46 | Holyoke Canoe Club | Park / conservation area | 42.26435, -72.60521 | Canoe club grounds on the right bank above Holyoke Dam. The club's two swimming pools are not shipped. |
| 47 | Dinosaur Footprints Trustees of Reservations | Park / conservation area | 42.24223, -72.62293 | Reservation on the right bank at Holyoke, with the Jurassic trackway on the riverbed ledge. |
| 48 | South Hadley Canal Park | Park / conservation area | 42.22250, -72.60894 | Riverside park on the canal at South Hadley Falls. |
| 49 | Purple Heart Drive (US 202) | Bridge crossing | 42.21697, -72.60720 | Two adjoining OSM ways condensed to one crossing. |
| 50 | Holyoke Dam Holyoke Gas & Electric | Dam / hazard | 42.21364, -72.60277 | Major main-stem dam with a fish lift. Four numbered overflow dams and two unnamed dam ways within 400 m are parts of the same complex and are folded in here. |
| 51 | Chicopee Boat Launch - Syrek Street Mass DCR | Access / boat ramp | 42.21058, -72.59100 | State concrete ramp reached from Syrek Street. MassGIS records one lane and about ten trailer spaces. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | Willimansett Bridge (MA 116 / MA 141) | Bridge crossing | 42.19555, -72.60173 | Road bridge. The rail trestle 100 m downstream is a separate crossing. |
| 53 | Willimansett Railroad Bridge Berkshire and Eastern Railroad | Bridge crossing | 42.19549, -72.60073 | |
| 54 | Connecticut River Access - West Springfield | Access / boat ramp | 42.15987, -72.62996 | Named access parcel on the right bank; two adjoining OSM polygons condensed to one. |
| 55 | Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90) | Bridge crossing | 42.15406, -72.62744 | Two carriageways condensed to one crossing. |
| 56 | Chicopee Boat Launch - Melina Street Mass DCR | Access / boat ramp | 42.15321, -72.62569 | State concrete ramp reached from Melina Street. MassGIS records one lane and about 40 trailer spaces - the largest launch on the lower river. |
| 57 | Land Along Connecticut R. West Springfield | Park / conservation area | 42.13212, -72.61848 | One of three identically-named riverbank conservation parcels in West Springfield, condensed here. |
| 58 | Connecticut River Access Park Springfield | Access / boat ramp | 42.11034, -72.61340 | City access and park on the right bank above the North End Bridge. |
| 59 | North End Bridge (US 20) | Bridge crossing | 42.10881, -72.61408 | |
| 60 | North Riverfront Park Springfield | Park / conservation area | 42.10817, -72.60999 | |
| 61 | Berkshire Subdivision railroad bridge - Springfield CSX Transportation | Bridge crossing | 42.10164, -72.59921 | Two adjoining rail ways condensed to one crossing. |
| 62 | Memorial Bridge | Bridge crossing | 42.09918, -72.59485 | Two adjoining carriageways condensed to one crossing. |
| 63 | Riverfront Park City of Springfield | Park / conservation area | 42.09702, -72.58948 | Springfield's riverfront park on the left bank. |
| 64 | Pynchon Point Access Town of Agawam | Access / boat ramp | 42.08346, -72.58594 | Town access point at the Westfield River confluence; the adjoining Pynchon Point park polygon is the same place. |
| 65 | South End Bridge (US 5) | Bridge crossing | 42.08170, -72.58294 | Two carriageways condensed to one crossing. |
| 66 | Springfield Yacht and Canoe Club | Park / conservation area | 42.07991, -72.58574 | Club grounds on the right bank at Agawam. OSM spells the name Sprigfield; corrected here. |
| 67 | Connecticut River Greenway State Park - Agawam Mass DCR | Park / conservation area | 42.06297, -72.59205 | Third of the three greenway points, in the Agawam and Longmeadow reach. |
| 68 | Floodplain Conservation Area Town of Longmeadow Conservation Commission | Park / conservation area | 42.05580, -72.59699 | Seven identically-named Longmeadow floodplain parcels run down the last few miles to the Connecticut state line; one is shipped. |
Gauge: USGS 01170500 — CONNECTICUT RIVER AT MONTAGUE CITY, MA. Live flow on the web page.
Species: American Shad, Channel Catfish, Fallfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Striped Bass, Walleye, White Perch, Yellow Perch
Regulations: www.mass.gov/freshwater-fishing-regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Montague City gauge and the Turners Falls area - the flow reference and fast water below the dam.
Barton Cove, Gill - boat ramp, camping and protected paddling water.
Holyoke dam and fish lift - the shad-run viewing site and heavy spring fishing pressure.
Oxbow at Easthampton - backwater and prime northern pike habitat.
Northampton and Hadley boat ramps - central valley launches for the flat water.
Deerfield River confluence - tributary mouth and a productive current seam.
Sunderland and Route 116 bridge access - middle-valley bank and boat access.
Spring: high water and the American shad run through the Holyoke lift; the year's signature fishing.
Summer: settled flows and the core smallmouth, largemouth and paddling season.
Fall: cooling water, strong bass and pike fishing and the best clarity of the year.
Winter: cold and high after thaws; ice on the backwaters and limited open-water fishing.