Cutler Pond in Essex County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Cutler Pond sits in Essex County, out in Massachusetts. The bank is 46 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. Nearest town is Wenham, 2.1 miles off. The big place round here is Boston, 21 miles distant. Water in the same corner: Pleasant Pond 1.9 miles, Beck Pond sits 2.2 miles out, Cedar Pond 2.5 miles, Chebacco Lake sits 2.5 miles out and Round Pond 2.6 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Cutler Pond

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The tide is the timetable on this water; two hours either side of the change usually fish hardest. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Cutler Pond where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 26°F. The freeze here is occasional rather than annual. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Plan any trip to Cutler Pond around it. Autumn feeding runs harder as the light drops away.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. Harvard Forest covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Pleasant Pond at 1.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Cutler Pond.