Fishing Barkers Pond in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Barkers Pond is a Middlesex County water, Massachusetts side. The shore lies 21 miles out. Surface area runs to about 6 acres — small enough to read in one session. Head to Acton, 1.7 miles away, for anything you forgot. Then West Concord, 1.9 miles, and Maynard, 2.1 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Barkers Pond

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Middlesex County cover bluegill, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel and yellow perch. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. At Barkers Pond the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 24°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late March. The season between ice runs from about late March to late December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan any trip to Barkers Pond around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Fort Pond Brook Reservoir at 1.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Signs at Barkers Pond carry more weight than any list.