Cranberry Pond Fishing Guide, Hampden County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Out in Hampden County, Massachusetts, sits Cranberry Pond. This is lake country bush ground. It runs to roughly 74 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Shoreline comes to about 1.5 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Few waters listed in Hampden County are bigger. Granville is the closest town at 7.3 miles. For a city, Springfield is 21 miles off. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Cranberry Pond

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Hampden County records list bluegill, white sucker and pumpkinseed among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. Work Cranberry Pond in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 68°F on average, January about 21°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to mid December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It sets the rhythm of the year at Cranberry Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Otter Pond is 0.5 miles off. Treat access at Cranberry Pond as something to verify.