Bailey Pond in Essex County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Massachusetts, Bailey Pond falls inside Essex County. This is lake country bush ground. At 12 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It lies lower than most water we list in Massachusetts. Start from Amesbury, 1.5 miles down the road. Then Newburyport, 3.2 miles, and Merrimac, 3.6 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Bailey Pond

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Survey and observation records for Essex County include alewife, bluegill and striped bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Bailey Pond that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 71°F, with January the cold end at about 24°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. Averages place the thaw at late March and the freeze at late December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. At Bailey Pond the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. There is a pier recorded roughly half a mile away. A picnic spot sits half a mile from the bank. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Pattens Pond at 1 mile is the sensible second choice. For Bailey Pond, the notice at the access point is the final word.