Fishing at Hammond Pond, Middlesex County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Hammond Pond lies in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. It sits 6.3 miles in from the sea. At 21 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Chestnut Hill is the closest place, 0.5 miles off. It is 5 miles to Cambridge, the nearest city. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Hammond Pond

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Middlesex County cover bluegill, pumpkinseed and chain pickerel. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Hammond Pond light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 26°F to 72°F. The season stretches long at both ends here. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. At Hammond Pond the season follows that pattern closely. Autumn cools the shallows first, so work deeper as it goes on.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. Hammond Pond Reservation covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Waban Hill Reservoir, 1 mile away. Check the position at Hammond Pond before loading the car.