Black Pond in Dukes County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Massachusetts holds Black Pond, in Dukes County. The bank is 39 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 4 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Dukes County are larger. West Tisbury at 7.1 miles is the nearest place to stop. Further out sit Vineyard Haven (13 miles) and Oak Bluffs (15 miles). It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Black Pond

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The tide is the timetable on this water; two hours either side of the change usually fish hardest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Black Pond the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 31°F to 71°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Black Pond fishes to that pattern most years. Rain lifts the level and moves fish about.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. Part of this sits inside or beside Nashaquitsa a, so read the notices. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Squibnocket Pond, 0.8 miles out. For Black Pond, the notice at the access point is the final word.