Cast the Water

Great Herring Pond

Massachusetts · Plymouth

The pin marks the middle of the water, for directions. The shoreline on the map comes from USGS NHD.

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Overview

Once known as Lake Manomet, Great Herring Pond spreads over 424 acres and averages 21 feet deep (47 max). Little Herring Pond, cranberry bogs and groundwater feed it. It drains through the Herring River, formerly the Monument River, which used to reach Buzzards Bay but today empties into the Cape Cod Canal by way of the Bournedale Herring Run. Water is clear to about 8 feet. Wind keeps the pond mixed, so it doesn't stratify in summer. The bottom is sand and rubble, turning to mud in deep or sheltered spots. Houses, roads, bogs and a summer camp (Camp Bournedale) share its 5.3-mile shore.

Fishing

Come for smallmouth and white perch. Fish the points along the east shore and the two sunken islands mid-pond. The Bournedale herring run feeds the pond well, so game fish and panfish grow fast. In summer, though, schools of young herring are easy pickings, which can make bass harder to catch. Award fish include largemouth and smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow and panfish such as black crappie, sunfish and white perch; and bullhead.

Species

MassWildlife surveys found largemouth and smallmouth bass; chain pickerel; panfish such as bluegill, pumpkinseed, white perch and yellow perch; brown bullhead; and alewife, American eel, banded killifish, blueback herring, golden shiner and white sucker.

Hotspots

Eastern-shore points; the two sunken islands near mid-pond.

Regulations

MassWildlife freshwater regulations apply: https://www.mass.gov/freshwater-fishing-regulations. Check local town or DCR rules for access fees and restrictions.

Licensing

A Massachusetts freshwater fishing license is required for anglers 15 and older.

Access

MassWildlife's gravel ramp is off Little Sandy Pond Rd near Herring Pond Rd, with room for about 6 cars. It's shallow, sandy and unimproved, so four-wheel drive is recommended for launching a trailer. Contact MassWildlife's Southeast District with questions.

Water facts

424 acres; average depth 21 ft; max 47 ft; clarity about 8 ft; 5.3 miles of shoreline.

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MassWildlife (Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife)