Fishing Bear Pond in Essex County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Set in Essex County, Massachusetts, this is Bear Pond. The shore lies 13 miles out. This is a pocket water of some 2 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Essex County list. The nearest town is North Reading, 3.1 miles away. Beyond it, Andover at 3.4 miles and Middleton at 4.7 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Bear Pond

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Essex County records list alewife, bluegill and striped bass among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. On Bear Pond a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 71°F and January near 25°F. Seasons here are moderate, and the fishing runs most of the year. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Anyone fishing Bear Pond regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. There are toilets half a mile off. Skug River Reservation covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Brackett Pond, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Bear Pond, the notice at the access point is the final word.