Fishing, Hunting and More at Nickerson State Park
By Dan Kenney, Go Fish Dan
If you’re looking for a fishing getaway in a beautiful setting, you should definitely check out Nickerson State Park on Cape Cod. I recently went there for the first time with my friend Aaron Orsi. Nickerson wasn’t our final destination—we were on our way to Chatham to go striper fishing—but it turned out to be a huge success.
Nickerson, located in Brewster, Massachusetts, is home to more than 1,900 acres of sandy soil, scrub pines and crystal clear kettle ponds—and I do mean crystal clear. Formed by glaciers, they’ve stayed remarkably pristine because they’re fed only by groundwater and precipitation. Aaron and I could see hundreds of trout swimming around our boat, showing flashes of silver as they turned sideways and reflected the sun, and they were easy to see, thanks to our Typhoon Polarized Sunglasses.
We were after bass, of course, and Nickerson didn’t disappoint in that regard either. Aaron reeled in a three-pound largemouth within minutes and I was able to bring in a couple two-pounders right off the bat as well. Since we only had a few hours we kept it short and sweet, but we still had time to take in the scenery. Nickerson is a seriously beautiful spot with a great story behind it. The land was once owned by Samuel Mayo Nickerson, a Chicago liquor distiller and founding officer of the First National Bank of Chicago. After his death in 1914, his wife, Addie, donated part of their land to the state. It became Massachusetts’ first state park!
Today, Nickerson is a great site for all sorts of activities. There are more than 400 campsites, an amphitheater, eight miles of roads and hiking trails, trails for horseback riding and mountain biking, deer hunting from mid-October through November, and an eight-mile bike path that connects to the 22-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail, which takes you all the way to Wellfleet. In addition, it’s a popular spot for birders and wildlife enthusiasts.
Although Aaron and I didn’t have any time for that, I’m sure I’ll be back at Nickerson. Whether you’re looking for an easy getaway for a few days or a two-hour fishing spot, this state park has it all.
Until next time, God Bless & Go Fish!
FORECAST BY: Dan is an avid angler and host of the television show “Go Fish with Dan Kenney.” The television program airs via the Charter Spectrum network and is seen on YouTube at youtube.com/gofishdanshow. Dan also runs the New England Fishing & Outdoor Expo. Dan wears Typhoon polarized sunglasses on all of his fishing adventures.