Mr. Burley tries to paddle the river during every month of the year. In the spring, people come from all over the state to paddle from Lucy Stone Park in Warren to the parking lot at Route 67 in Palmer, he said. That stretch has some very challenging features to it. The Quaboag's midsection offers one of the best white-water canoe trips in the state, according to state fisheries and wildlife experts. The river system has broad appeal, but the majority of Quaboag fans gather there in search of the treasures that lie beneath its surface.
Fishing is the most popular activity throughout the year.
The Quaboag system has a diverse fish population of about 30 species and regularly produces trophy fish, according to Lee McLaughlin, aquatic biologist with the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. The state record pike of 35 pounds, 47.5 inches, was caught in Quacumquasit Pond in 1988. Largemouth bass are the most frequently fished, but the system includes pan fish, white and yellow perch, and catfish. Quacumquasit has several species of trout, and the river from Warren to Palmer is regularly stocked with trout. The mounted state record pike hangs on the bait shop wall, along with a variety of trophy trout caught by Mr. Lachambre in more than a half-century of fishing the Quaboag.