Fishing Monce Pond in Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut

• Overview

  This water sits in Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut. It sits 30 miles in from the sea. This is a pocket water of some 14 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Supplies mean a trip to Farmington, 4 miles off. Hartford is the closest city, 12 miles away. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Monce Pond

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Across Capitol Planning Region, recorded fish include bluegill, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, chain pickerel and brook trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Monce Pond the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 73°F, while January sits near 26°F. Whether it freezes depends on the year. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. Plan any trip to Monce Pond around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. The water sits inside or beside a mapped nature reserve, so expect additional rules. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Lake Garda is 0.4 miles distant. Treat Monce Pond as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.