In just a mile or two radius, Brewster boasts 4 of the most prolific freshwater bass and trout ponds on Cape Cod. The old Route 6 exit 10 (now exit 82, though I refuse to ever call it that) drops you off in Harwich just a few hundred yards from the first of these gems, Hinckleys Pond. If you are hunting for trophy smallmouth, largemouth and trout, this is like a one stop shop for the fresh water fisherman. And, before anyone mentions it, we are aware there are many other spectacular fishing ponds in Brewster , including the ones in Nickerson State Park. They will be the subject of future articles....
HINCKLEYS POND : We will review these ponds in the order you will encounter them as you come off the route 6, exit 10 exits in Harwich ,in a clockwise fashion (see map above).
Hinckley’s Pond is a 176-acre great pond with an average depth of 12 feet and a maximum depth of 30 feet. Not the clearest of ponds due to suspended nutrients in the water. The bottom is alternately sandy, gravely and some small boulder fields and there is scattered grass beds and lily pads. The pond is fed by springs and connects to Seymour Pond, Long Pond and cranberry bogs and drains into the Herring River. The 1.7 miles of shoreline are developed with residential homes, cranberry bogs and a beach.
Recreational Access to the pond: Since the town closed off access last summer (due to vandalism and messy fisherman) from the dirt road on the western side of pond, south of the cranberry bog that fronts to 124, this now a foot access pond and is the only one of the Big 4 that must be wade fished unless you know someone or get permission from a waterfront owner to launch your small boat. Foot access is also available from a small parking lot next to the Cape Cod Rail Trail across the road from the PIZZA SHARK on Route 124.
Fish you will encounter: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, White Perch, Pumpkinseed, Chain Pickerel, White Sucker, Banded Killifish, Tesselated Darter, American Eel, and Alewife which run up the Herring River from Nantucket Sound to the Herring River Reservoir and Hinkleys, Seymour and Long Ponds.
This is an excellent warm water fishery where fisherman can expect to catch Yellow Perch, White Perch, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass and Pumpkinseed. Due to the abundant Alewife forage base from April through August, gamefish have outstanding growth rates with jumbo sized Smallmouth and Largemouth frequently caught.
What to use: Because of the herring and herring fry presence for most of the fishing season. Bright ,shiny lures in silver colorations generally produce best, but Hinckleys also has a big population of leaches and water snakes. Rubber worms 6 inches or greater can be very effective. When the herring fry are abundant , a Heddon Super Spook JR can provide exciting top water action.
If panfishing is your thing, this pond is loaded with Yellow Perch.If you are looking to keep a young, budding fisherman interested with constant action, this is a great spot to try. Nightcrawlers, shiners or small spoons and spinners will keep you in the action.
Hinckley’s Pond has produced Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, White Perch, Sunfish and Brown Bullhead that meet minimum sizes for recognition by the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program.
SEYMOUR POND: Seymour Pond, also known as Bangs Pond, is a 181 acre natural kettle pond with an average depth of 20 feet and a maximum depth of about 40 feet. Like Hinckleys, not a gin clear pond, but slightly better visibility except during pollen season. The bottom is composed of sand and rubble, and aquatic vegetation is present in spots, but scarce. The pond’s 2.1 miles of shoreline are low and lightly wooded; development is limited to a few houses, cranberry bogs and a town beach. The pond is fed by groundwater and drains to Hinkleys Pond. Access: Seymour Pond is located just west of Route 124. It can be reached by taking Route 6 to Exit 10 and heading north on Route 124. Access is over a town beach, but a town beach sticker is required to park during the summer months. Shore fishing access is provided along the Cape Cod Rail Trail. The solid bottom makes for easy wading if you don't have a boat.
Interesting fact: Seymour Pond was stocked with walleye fry in 1922 and with white perch in 1927 and 1931..only the white perch took and established.
Fish Populations: You can catch up to 14 species in Seymour: yellow perch, brown bullhead, white sucker, pumpkinseed sunfish, alewife, smallmouth bass, white perch, banded killifish, bridled shiner, golden shiner, chain pickerel, largemouth bass, tessellated darter and American eel.
Fishing: Best fishing in Seymour Pond is for yellow perch, white perch and smallmouth bass. All three species are abundant and display good average size. Because of the herring fry population, there are some trophy sized smallmouth lurking around, but most will be average to good sized. This pond supports an alewife run via the Herring River and Hinkley’s Pond. Young-of-year alewives provide an abundant forage base for game and panfish during the summer months. During summer, the water becomes deoxygenated below 20 feet, so not a great jig or crankbait spot. Wading is all that’s required, particularly in view of the fact that fish will not be found below 20 feet during summer.
What to Use:Flies, lures or bait, you will want to use something that mimics closely alewives/ alewive fry. For lures, try YO-ZURI PIN'S MINNOW, or Rapala Husky Jerk
SHEEP POND: is a 152-acre great pond with an average depth of 30 feet and a maximum depth of 60+ feet, though there are many unexpectedly shallow bars and coves that can extend way out from shore. The water is ridiculously clear and on a calm , still day, allows for visibility down to 20 foot depths! This average depth and clarity allows for stocked trout to find preferred water temps on almost a year round basis.
The bottom of the pond and its 2.6 miles of shoreline are predominantly sand and tall bluffs dotted with some awesome homes. If you are going to use a small boat here, know that the prevailing southwest winds and the ponds orientation can combine to create pretty choppy waters...particularly in the afternoon.
Unlike the two previously highlighted ponds, Sheep Pond has awesome recreational access is from a paved ramp at the end of Fisherman’s Landing Rd., managed by the town of Brewster(sticker parking in the summer) , at the southwestern end of the pond. Parking is available with space for approximately 15 cars and trailers. There is also a handicapped fishing pier adjacent to the ramp. Launching a boat mid afternoon in the summer is decidedly not fun. Early mornings and dusk in the summertime
Fish Populations: The following fish species can be caught here: Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth Bass, Brown Bullhead, Banded Killifish. Sheep Pond is stocked many times annually in the spring and fall with Brook, Brown and Rainbow trout. Sheep Pond is one of the best trout ponds in MA due to the quality of its coldwater habitat and forage base. The pond is generously stocked in the spring and fall with Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, Brown Trout and Tiger Trout (sometimes). Sheep Pond supports good numbers of holdover trout throughout the summer, fall and winter. During the dog days of summer, anglers will need to get their lures/ bait down into a coldwater zone between 34 and 43 feet(leadline or down rigger trolling). Sheep Pond has produced Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout, Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Bullhead, and Sunfish that meet minimum sizes for recognition by the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program.
What to use: Right after spring stocking(or any stocking for that matter) , manufactured baits like Berkley Power Bait or natural baits like nightcrawlers, meal worms or salmon eggs are they way to go. After a week or so of acclimation, flies, spinners and spoons are the ticket.
LONG POND: Long Pond in Brewster and Harwich is a 716 acre natural great pond, the largest freshwater pond on Cape Cod. It has an average depth of 23 feet and a maximum depth of 66 feet. Transparency is good, extending to 14 feet, and aquatic vegetation is scarce. The bottom is composed of sand and rubble. The pond’s 6.4 miles of shoreline is moderately developed with houses, seasonal cottages and beaches. Three small ponds are connected to the main pond by small channels: Black, Smalls and Greenland Ponds. The entire system drains into the Herring River( under rte 124). During the summer, dissolved oxygen levels drop below 2 ppm at 34 feet and deeper.
Access: Access is provided by three boat ramps: two in Harwich and one in Brewster. The Harwich ramps are located off Long Pond Road and are next to town beach areas. The Brewster ramp can be reached from Route 124 by taking Crowells Bog Road to Mammon Drive. This ramp is also next to a town beach. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, parking is restricted to town residents with a sticker.
Management History: Around 1912, a survey reported yellow perch, white perch, catfish, eels, black bass, and herring were reported in Long Pond as well as several motor and sailboats. Prior to 1948, Long Pond has been stocked with smallmouth bass and brown bullheads. Striped bass were stocked by private parties in 1971 under a permit issued by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Alewives provide the forage base for the pond after travelling from Nantucket Sound via the Herring River and Herring River Reservoir, Hinckleys Pond and Seymour Pond. In fall 2007, the deeper areas of the pond were treated with alum to control phosphorus and thus reduce algae blooms.
Fish Populations: Alewife, American eel, banded killifish, white sucker, yellow perch, white perch, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and tesselated darter can all be found here, but is most famous for its huge smallmouth bass populations. Because of the easy , multiple ramp accesses and tournament fishing , this pond is more heavily pressured than the other three ponds highlighted above. However, year in, year out produces outstanding small mouth catches of 4lbs +.
Fishing: Unfortunately, it is difficult to fish during the day in the summer due to heavy recreational boating and swimming pressure. You are going to want to fish this pond in the mid spring and fall for smallmouth before the summer hordes invade
What to use: Everything smallmouth works here because of the varied forage base, depths and bottom structure. Jigs, swimbaits and topwater are all killer at various times.
As mentioned above, Brewster has an embarrassment of riches as far as high quality fresh water fishing opportunities go. This is just a partial list in close proximity that give you the option of picking up and trying a different fishery just a few minutes car drive away from each other.
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