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 | Sherman Dam Sherman Reservoir, Monroe | Dam / hazard | 42.72986, -72.92979 | First dam below the Vermont line. The pond above it is Sherman Reservoir; the river below runs to the No. 5 station at Monroe Bridge. |
| 2 | Deerfield No. 5 Dam New England Power No. 5 station | Dam / hazard | 42.72264, -72.93870 | OSM carries it as New England Power Company Number 5. An unnamed dam way sits on the same structure and is not shipped twice. |
| 3 | Monroe Bridge Depot Street / Monroe Hill Road | Bridge crossing | 42.72222, -72.93872 | The village of Monroe Bridge takes its name from this crossing, immediately below the No. 5 station. |
| 4 | Monroe Bridge Overlook roadside pull-off | Park / conservation area | 42.72208, -72.93934 | Small overlook above the No. 5 station at the head of the upper river. |
| 5 | Trail Head Picnic Area River Road, Florida | Park / conservation area | 42.70344, -72.95029 | Picnic site and trailhead on River Road between Sherman Dam and Fife Brook. |
| 6 | Bear Swamp Recreation Area Bear Swamp project, Florida | Park / conservation area | 42.69050, -72.96597 | Open-access recreation ground at the Bear Swamp pumped-storage project above Fife Brook Dam. |
| 7 | Fife Brook Dam Bear Swamp lower reservoir | Dam / hazard | 42.68554, -72.97646 | Tagged in OSM as the Bear Swamp Pumped Storage Lower Dam; it is the Fife Brook Dam that gauges the upper river. Upstream limit of the state Catch and Release Area (Upper Section). |
| 8 | Fife Brook Fishing and Boating Access River Road, Florida | Access / boat ramp | 42.68014, -72.97623 | The put-in for the upper float, about 0.6 km below the dam. OSM tags the site as parking; the name on the node is the state access name. |
| 9 | Hoosac Tunnel railroad trestle lower limit, C&R Upper Section | Regulation section limit | 42.67428, -72.99514 | Downstream boundary of the Deerfield River Catch and Release Area (Upper Section), which runs from Fife Brook Dam to this trestle. Boundary only - read the rules on the MassWildlife page. |
| 10 | Tunnel Road bridge Hoosac Tunnel, Florida | Bridge crossing | 42.66638, -72.98653 | Road crossing by the Hoosac Tunnel east portal, just below the trestle. |
| 11 | Zoar Road bridge Zoar, Charlemont | Bridge crossing | 42.65578, -72.93660 | Upper of the two Zoar crossings; the freight main line bridges the river 60 m away. |
| 12 | Zoar Gap Rapids class III at release flows | Dam / hazard | 42.65495, -72.95562 | The named rapid of the upper river. Wading here is only sensible between releases; know the schedule before you get in. |
| 13 | Zoar Road bridge at Zoar Gap where River Road becomes Zoar Road | Bridge crossing | 42.65249, -72.95473 | Crossing at the foot of Zoar Gap, beside the picnic-area access. |
| 14 | Zoar Picnic Area Access River Road, Charlemont | Access / boat ramp | 42.65112, -72.95226 | State access point and picnic area below Zoar Gap; the usual take-out for the upper float. |
| 15 | Route 2 bridge, west Charlemont Mohawk Trail, MA 2 | Bridge crossing | 42.64209, -72.92240 | |
| 16 | Mohawk Park campground on Route 2, Charlemont | Campsite | 42.64061, -72.91271 | Riverside campground and caravan site on the Mohawk Trail. |
| 17 | Hail to the Sunrise Memorial Park Mohawk Trail, Charlemont | Park / conservation area | 42.63964, -72.91360 | Riverside park on Route 2 with the Hail to the Sunrise statue; bank water in front of it. |
| 18 | Route 2 bridge, Charlemont Mohawk Trail, MA 2 | Bridge crossing | 42.63852, -72.90918 | |
| 19 | Zoar Outdoor 7 Main Street, Charlemont | Outfitter / canoe rental | 42.62773, -72.88367 | Raft, kayak and tubing livery with a walk-in outfitters shop; paddlesports only, no fishing tackle. OSM spells the name in lower case. |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Route 8A bridge West Hawley Road, Charlemont | Bridge crossing | 42.62625, -72.88277 | |
| 21 | USGS 01168500 - Deerfield River at Charlemont river stage and discharge | USGS gauge | 42.62600, -72.85419 | The gauge this page reads from. Check it and the release schedule together before floating the upper river. |
| 22 | Catamount State Forest Colrain / Charlemont | Park / conservation area | 42.62060, -72.73979 | State forest reaching the north bank; OSM records access as restricted, so check at the gate. |
| 23 | Deerfield No. 4 Dam New England Power No. 4 station, Buckland | Dam / hazard | 42.61997, -72.74546 | The forebay dam 500 m downstream is part of the same structure and is not shipped twice. |
| 24 | Route 2 bridge, Shelburne Mohawk Trail, MA 2 | Bridge crossing | 42.61834, -72.74656 | |
| 25 | Route 2 / Route 112 bridge Mohawk Trail, Buckland | Bridge crossing | 42.61357, -72.73739 | |
| 26 | Deerfield No. 3 Dam Shelburne Falls | Dam / hazard | 42.60280, -72.73957 | Two OSM ways carry this name on one structure; the forebay dam below it is the same complex. |
| 27 | Bridge Street bridge MA 2A, Shelburne Falls | Bridge crossing | 42.60366, -72.74034 | Village crossing beside the Bridge of Flowers, with parking on both banks. |
| 28 | Salmon Falls Glacial Potholes Shelburne Falls | Point of interest | 42.60228, -72.73877 | Bedrock potholes and ledge below the Gardner Falls dam. A landmark and a viewpoint, not an access. |
| 29 | Gardner Falls Main Dam Shelburne / Buckland | Dam / hazard | 42.59149, -72.73020 | The station canal dam 300 m away belongs to the same complex. |
| 30 | Gardner Falls Road bridge Shelburne | Bridge crossing | 42.59110, -72.73082 | |
| 31 | Mohawk Trail Conservation Area open access | Park / conservation area | 42.59328, -72.72755 | Protected land on the river below Gardner Falls. |
| 32 | Deerfield No. 2 Dam New England Power No. 2 station | Dam / hazard | 42.57325, -72.70674 | |
| 33 | South River State Forest Conway / Deerfield | Park / conservation area | 42.56259, -72.68704 | State forest on the lower river at the South River mouth. |
| 34 | Bardwells Ferry Road bridge Conway / Shelburne | Bridge crossing | 42.55537, -72.67785 | Historic iron bridge over the lower river and a long-standing wade and canoe access. |
| 35 | West Deerfield Upper Road bridge Deerfield | Bridge crossing | 42.52671, -72.63237 | |
| 36 | Connecticut River Greenway State Park Montague / Deerfield | Park / conservation area | 42.56853, -72.59238 | State greenway land at the Deerfield's mouth on the Connecticut. |
| 37 | Route 5 / Route 10 bridge Greenfield Road, Deerfield | Bridge crossing | 42.56921, -72.59189 | The last road crossing above the mouth. |
Gauge: USGS 01168500 — DEERFIELD RIVER AT CHARLEMONT, MA. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Landlocked Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass
Regulations: www.mass.gov/freshwater-fishing-regulations
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Fife Brook Dam: the top of the tailwater and the main put-in.
Zoar Gap: the well-known whitewater and pocket-water reach.
Charlemont: town access near the gauge, and the catch-and-release water.
Route 2 pullouts: continuous roadside access through the valley.
Shelburne Falls: the Bridge of Flowers, the glacial potholes and lower river access.
Buckland and the Cold River confluence: cold tributary water.
Below Shelburne Falls: warmer water and smallmouth bass.
March through May: heavy water and the Hendrickson hatch; the first great fishing of the year.
June and July: sulphurs and caddis; plan around whitewater release days.
August and September: terrestrials and cold releases while other rivers are too warm.
October through February: blue-winged olives, streamers and genuine winter fishing on the tailwater.