Fishing at Matthews Pond, Barnstable County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  In Massachusetts, Matthews Pond falls inside Barnstable County. Salt water lies 1.4 miles off. At about 36 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Ground here is low by Massachusetts standards. Nearest place of any size is Yarmouth, 0.4 miles away. It is 37 miles to New Bedford, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Matthews Pond

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Work the tide here — moving water feeds, slack water rests. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Barnstable County, recorded fish include striped bass, alewife, tessellated darter and blueback herring. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Take Matthews Pond a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 30°F and July at about 70°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The season stretches long at both ends here. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Matthews Pond runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. The water sits inside or beside a nature reserve, so expect extra rules. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Miss Thatchers Pond, 1 mile away. The position on Matthews Pond is worth confirming on the day.