Fishing Bassetts Lot Pond in Barnstable County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Out in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, sits Bassetts Lot Pond. Tidal water begins 1.5 miles from here. It covers about 8 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. 1.2 miles away sits West Yarmouth, the nearest town. The big place round here is New Bedford, 36 miles distant. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bassetts Lot Pond

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Being tidal, the water moves twice a day, and the fishing moves with it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Barnstable County cover striped bass, alewife and tessellated darter. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. On Bassetts Lot Pond the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 70°F and January reads 30°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. Anyone fishing Bassetts Lot Pond regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. This sits inside Water Department Land, so read the reserve notices first. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Horse Pond is 0.3 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Bassetts Lot Pond.