Black Spruce Pond Fishing near Mansfield City, Connecticut

• Overview

  Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, is where Black Spruce Pond sits. It sits in mixed forest country. With some 31 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. For supplies, Mansfield City is 7.5 miles out. Hartford sits 30 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Black Spruce Pond

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. County-wide records name bluegill, smallmouth bass, yellow bullhead, largemouth bass and chain pickerel. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Black Spruce Pond repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 70°F and January at 25°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late March. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near late December: that is the shape of an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Black Spruce Pond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. James L. Goodwin State Forest runs up to the bank here, which usually means extra restrictions. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Pine Acres Lake at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Black Spruce Pond is worth confirming on the day.