Fishing Bennett Pond in Hampden County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Bennett Pond is set in Hampden County, Massachusetts. The water sits 259 feet up. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Hampden County standards. Wilbraham sits 2.5 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Hampden lies 2.7 miles off, East Longmeadow another 3.6 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Bennett Pond

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. County-wide records name bluegill, white sucker and pumpkinseed. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Bennett Pond where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 72°F; by January the average is down near 24°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late March. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about late December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. It holds true on Bennett Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Parking is mapped about half a mile from the bank. The water sits inside or beside a nature reserve, so expect extra rules. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Mill Pond, 2.7 miles out. Check the position on Bennett Pond before loading the car.