Mason Pond in Capitol Planning Region: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Mason Pond sits within Capitol Planning Region in Connecticut. It lies 223 feet above sea level. Small at around 4 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Capitol Planning Region list. New Britain sits 1.6 miles from here and is the nearest stop. It is 9.9 miles to Hartford, the nearest city. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Mason Pond

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Capitol Planning Region list bluegill, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and chain pickerel. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Mason Pond where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 73°F and January reads 27°F. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. It sets the rhythm of the year at Mason Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. Kummer Farm Preserve covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Shuttle Meadow Pond, 0.3 miles away. Signs at Mason Pond carry more weight than any list.