Charters Pond near Crystal Lake: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Charters Pond is a Capitol Planning Region water, Connecticut side. Salt water lies 39 miles off. You can fish the entire water from one spot if you pick it well. On size it sits at the modest end of our Capitol Planning Region list. Supplies mean a trip to Crystal Lake, 1.7 miles off. For a city, Springfield is 15 miles off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Charters Pond

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Capitol Planning Region include bluegill, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, chain pickerel and brook trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Charters Pond where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 70°F, the coldest about 24°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. The season between ice runs from about late March to late December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Charters Pond runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Webster Road Open Space takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lake Bonair at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat Charters Pond as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.