Round Pond in Hampden County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Hampden County, Massachusetts, is where Round Pond sits. Land around it is mixed forest. At roughly 2 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. On size it sits at the modest end of our Hampden County list. Nearest place of any size is Southampton, 4 miles away. Westfield is 4.1 miles away, with Holyoke at 5 miles. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Round Pond

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Hampden County include bluegill, white sucker, pumpkinseed and brook trout. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Anyone new to Round Pond should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 23°F and July at about 71°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice-out usually falls in late March, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate figures give an open season running late March to late December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Round Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. A ramp is mapped within half a mile. Public data has parking about half a mile from the shore. Mapping shows a jetty some half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Doe Pond is 0.2 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Round Pond for certain.