Fishing Ward Pond in Worcester County, Massachusetts

• Overview

  Set in Worcester County, Ward Pond is a Massachusetts water. The land about it is rolling bush. It covers about 5 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Worcester County are larger. Supplies mean a trip to Athol, 2.7 miles off. Worcester sits 30 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Ward Pond

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Worcester County, recorded fish include bluegill, chain pickerel and largemouth bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Ward Pond the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 68°F; the cold one sits at 20°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. The open-water window runs from around early April to about mid December in an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan any trip to Ward Pond around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is White Pond, 0.9 miles out. Confirm before you fish Ward Pond.