Minott Pond Fishing Guide, Worcester County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Minott Pond lies in Worcester County, in Massachusetts. Around the bank it is lake country bush. It covers about 8 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Worcester County are larger. For supplies, Westminster is 2.7 miles out. Worcester sits 21 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Minott Pond

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Records held for Worcester County cover bluegill, chain pickerel, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Minott Pond the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 68°F, while January sits near 20°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. The open-water window runs from around early April to about mid December in an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It sets the rhythm of the year at Minott Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. 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. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Wrights Reservoir, 0.7 miles out. Rules at Minott Pond are worth checking on the day.