A lot is made of the Cape Cod ponds, especially during the winter because these coastal ponds tend to remain ice-free throughout (at least most of) the winter. This makes the Cape a bit of an oasis for hardcore rod-and-reel anglers that don’t get excited about ice fishing. If you’re traveling to the Cape for some wintertime action, you might be able to scratch the itch without having to cross the Bourne or Sagamore Bridge. Plymouth and the surrounding towns offer a bounty of productive ponds, many of which are stocked with trout, and one of the best is Little Pond in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Despite its amorphous shape, Little Pond is one of the Cape’s famous ‘kettle hole’ ponds. These ponds are typically very round in shape and were formed when large pieces of glacial ice broke free from a glacier and became embedded in the ground, over time the ice melted and left a deep, water-filled pit, known as a kettle hole or kettle pond. These ponds are often excellent candidates for trout stocking because they are deep and cool and usually filled with clean water.
Little Pond is located at the end of Morton Park Road in Plymouth, and the best parking is located in the lot at Morton Park. There is another parking area in the bottom of the southeast cove that also acts as an access point to the nearby Billington Sea, you can find this lot by following Morton Park Road left from the main lot, to the end. Both parking areas feature boat launches, though the Morton Park launch is the only choice for those trailering a boat.
The State stocks this pond heavily with trout and sometimes salmon as well. Its deep clear water makes is a perfect candidate for harboring holdover trout that have been known to become rather large over the years. Little Pond also receives a dose of broodstock browns each year in the early spring, many of which are quite impressive in size. There are also largemouth bass and smallmouth bass along with the usual selection of panfish and golden shiners. Little Pond is not known for its bass fishing but I have heard of a few giants coming from these waters, so keep that in mind if you’re a trophy hunter. The bass I have caught here have been on the smaller side, but fat, healthy and dark in color.
Boaters will find depths plunging to 50 feet here, with the deepest water being found just north of the rounded point that makes up Morton Park. Shore anglers will find good water for trout fishing on the south and west sides of Morton Park; the reed line that makes up the easternmost shore of the lake is a good spot to find largemouth bass. From the Billington Sea lot, shore anglers will do well to wade to the left and fish the steep drop in front of the short point for trout and salmon.
One of the best things about Little Pond is that it’s very easy to access and navigate making it a great place to teach your kids or grandkids how to fish. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend giving this place a try, it’s one of those ponds that usually coughs up a couple fish, no matter what time of year you visit.
