Trapps Pond Fishing near Edgartown, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Within Dukes County, Massachusetts, you have Trapps Pond. The setting is open valley on every side. The water covers some 44 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. It lies lower than most water we list in Massachusetts. Edgartown is the closest town at 1.2 miles. After that come Oak Bluffs at 4 miles and Vineyard Haven at 5.2 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Trapps Pond

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Being tidal, the water moves twice a day, and the fishing moves with it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Dukes County include American eel, striped bass, alewife, rainbow smelt and tessellated darter. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Trapps Pond should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 31°F. Temperature moves within a narrow band, and so does the fishing. In a normal year the cover is thin and short-lived. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Trapps Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Part of this sits inside or beside Caroline Tuthill Preserve, so read the notices. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Sheriffs Pond at 1 mile is the sensible second choice. Check the current arrangement for Trapps Pond.