Thompson Pond Fishing near Paxton, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Thompson Pond falls in Worcester County, part of Massachusetts. The surface lies 866 feet up. The water covers some 30 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Some 2.6 miles away sits Paxton, the nearest settlement. The big place round here is Worcester, 9.3 miles distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Thompson Pond

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Records held for Worcester County cover bluegill, chain pickerel, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Thompson Pond the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 69°F, while January sits near 22°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. The lid tends to go about early April and return around late December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Time your trip to Thompson Pond by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Buckhill Pond sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. For Thompson Pond, the notice at the access point is the final word.