Haviland Pond Fishing in Hampden County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Haviland Pond sits within Hampden County in Massachusetts. The country here is rolling bush. Roughly 25 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Some 0.9 miles away sits Ludlow, the nearest settlement. Then Wilbraham, 4 miles, and Three Rivers, 5.8 miles. Other water nearby: Wood Pond at 0.2 miles, 0.5 miles away is Pickerel Pond, Harris Pond at 1 mile, 1 mile away is Murphy Pond and Minechoag Pond at 1 mile. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Haviland Pond

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Hampden County include bluegill, white sucker, pumpkinseed, brook trout and tessellated darter. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Haviland Pond the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 71°F, the coldest about 24°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late March. Open water usually runs from late March until about late December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It sets the rhythm of the year at Haviland Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. 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. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Wood Pond at 0.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Haviland Pond is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.