Loon Pond Fishing Guide, Hampden County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Loon Pond stands in Hampden County, Massachusetts. The surface lies 203 feet up. It runs to roughly 26 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The nearest place of any size is Ludlow, 1.6 miles away. Wilbraham is 3.7 miles away, with Springfield at 5.5 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Loon Pond

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name bluegill, white sucker, pumpkinseed, brook trout and tessellated darter. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The near bank of Loon Pond is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 24°F to 72°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. Break-up sits around late March on average, with the water closing again about late December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Time your trip to Loon Pond by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. Fanti Bog covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Dimmock Pond sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Loon Pond is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.