Fishing Barnes Pond in Hampden County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  You will find Barnes Pond in Hampden County, Massachusetts. It sits at 299 feet above sea level. The far bank is a conversation away, so keep low and quiet. Our Hampden County list holds plenty of bigger water. The closest town, Westfield, is 3.4 miles distant. For a city, Springfield is 12 miles off. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Barnes Pond

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name bluegill, white sucker, pumpkinseed, brook trout and tessellated darter. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Barnes Pond where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 71°F, while January sits near 24°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count the season from break-up, usually late March. From about late March to around late December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Barnes Pond follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. A recognised fishing spot is mapped about half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try West Parish Filter Number Three Reservoir, 1.8 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Barnes Pond.