Ed Bills Pond Fishing near Salem, Connecticut

• Overview

  In Connecticut, Ed Bills Pond falls inside Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region. Beyond the shoreline you have mixed woodland. At 8 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. You are 5.2 miles from Salem. The nearest city of size is Hartford, 30 miles away. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Ed Bills Pond

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region: bluegill, bowfin and white perch. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Ed Bills Pond the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 27°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The season stretches long at both ends here. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. On Ed Bills Pond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. You can leave the car about 120 yards from the water. Riverside Preserve covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. For the catfish, fish bottom baits into the deeper holes and let them sit. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Malt House Brook is 0.8 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Ed Bills Pond for certain.