Ice Fishing at Lake Rico in Taunton MA
Massasoit State Park
1361 Middleboro Ave
East Taunton, MA 02718
Phone: 508-822-7405
Website:
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/southeast/mass.htm
You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=838FbUF_FGU
My Aunt Nancy visits me every Sunday and we always have a lot of laughs and fun. We both love the outdoors and often go fishing during warmer months. We both miss fishing a lot during the winter but still find some adventurous activities to do.
Well Saturday on our way home from the movies, my dad, Tony and I saw a lot of people ice fishing on Lake Rico which is located near my home at
Massasoit State Park. So this Sunday, my Aunt Nancy, Jowanna, Tony and I decided to try out something really adventurous and headed to Lake Rico to see how ice fishing is for us. They told me that my wheelchair wouldn’t be able to safely go on the ice; which I fully understand due to the heavy weight of my chair with me in it. Yet I thought it would still be a lot of fun for me to sit on the shore and watch them ice fish.
Upon arriving we parked our van in one of the two off street parking lots located in front of Lake Rico on Taunton Street. There are no handicap parking spaces in either of the parking lots. From here wheelchair access to the lake did not look good for we only saw only a steep dirt access slope leading to the shore of Lake Rico.
Tony and my Aunt Nancy went to see if there is better wheelchair access to the shore of the Lake. They also went to check out the ice to see how safe it is for them to ice fish. We were told if the ice is 6″ thick then it is safe.
We saw others were ice skating and ice fishing here on the Lake so we figured it is probably safe. We’ve had a long cold spell below freezing temperatures; just this morning only 13 degrees warming up to approximately 32. Jowanna and I watched as Aunt Nancy and Tony checked out the ice; we laughed so hard when Tony thought he heard a crack; and they both quickly headed back to shore.
After deciding the ice near the shore is safe and finding some fishing holes that other local fisherman had cut out with a special ice drill; Aunt Nancy and Tony headed back to shore to look for a better wheelchair accessible path for me to access the shore line.
Tony found a path that was a little more wheelchair accessible than the steep slope; he came back to the van and asked me what I thought of trying it out. Of course I was all for it because I love the fresh air and outdoor adventures.
We had our fishing poles in the van with us yet needed bait. We then headed to
Tom’s Bait & Tackle in Middleboro to buy some shiners for them to use as bait. We also met up with our good friend Kate who decided to join us for our outdoor winter adventure.
Once back at Lake Rico, I soon discovered watching winter ice fishing here is not very wheelchair accessible because the terrain leading to shore line of the lake is very rough and rocky. It didn’t surprise me because I didn’t find
Massasoit State Park very wheelchair friendly or accessible when I last reviewed it in July of 2008. Once out of our van, Tony pulled my manual wheelchair backwards down the rough path. We all wished I had brought my
Permobil C350 Power Chair because it would have been easier wheeling down the bumpy terrain.
Jowanna, Kate and I stayed on the shoreline and had a lot of fun watching Aunt Nancy and Tony try their luck at ice fishing. My Aunt Nancy really wanted to catch a fish like the 3 lb bass she caught when we went Bass Fishing at Long Pond in Lakeville. After having no luck catching a fish, Aunt Nancy and Tony returned to the shore line and we all headed back home to get ready to watch the Super Bowl, which all now know “YEP! Who dat - Who dat! It be them Saints WON the Super Bowl!” :-)
I give Lake Rio at Massasoit State Park ONE STAR for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the other Four Stars, Massasoit State Park would need to smooth out and lessen the slope of the pathway which leads to the shoreline of Lake Rico; and build a small wooden dock extending a short distance from the shore line into the lake so a person in a wheelchair can cast a fishing line.
My Aunt Nancy, Tony, Jowanna and Kate all deserve FIVE STARS for trying to make this outdoor adventure as accessible as they could for me!! Thank you my friends!!
