Babcock Pond
Anyone looking for a small pond away from roads, houses and pleasure boats should try Babcock Pond in Colchester. This 119-acre pond is completely surrounded by the Babcock Wildlife Management Area. It is a shallow pond with a 6-foot maximum depth, thus its water warms fast in the spring sunlight. For the most part, the pond is weedy.

Golden shiners and small chain pickerel are abundant, and largemouth bass feast on both species. Elongated minnow-shaped lures worked around the budding spring weed growth should entice Babcock Pond largemouths.

Anglers will find a small cartop boat-launching area on the north end of the pond. Take Exit 16 off Route 2 onto Route 149 south. Turn east onto Route 16. The ramp is one mile from the turn, adjacent to the wildlife observation area. Signs mark the area. There is an 8-mile-per-hour speed limit on the lake.

Pine Acres Lake
Many lakes in Connecticut are difficult to fish during summer because of the heavy weed growth. Pine Acres Lake is one such pond. This 190-acre pond becomes weed-choked by late spring. But in the early spring, bass anglers can work the pond without much difficulty.

The better bass fishing occurs in the southern end of the pond where water is deepest, averaging 3 to 5 feet. Largemouth bass in this pond are well fed because the abundant forage base contains several species of minnow, stunted panfish and tiny bullheads. Any favorite springtime bass lures should work on Pine Acres Lake.

This pond lies within James L. Goodwin State Forest in Hampton. The shoreline is forested and pristine. It has a very good boat-launching area on the southern end of the lake off Route 6 about eight miles east of the city of Willimantic. Boaters are restricted to electric motors only.

Fishing license fees for Connecticut residents are $20 for the season. Non-resident license fees are $40 for the season, or $16 for a three-day permit. For fishing and licensing information, contact the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Inland Fisheries Division, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106; or call (860) 424-3475.

For tourism information, write to the Connecticut Tourism Division, 14 Rumford St., West Hartford, CT 06107; or call 1-800-282-6863.

MASSACHUSETTS
Peters Pond
Massachusetts is known for its natural kettle ponds, which are generally deep and clear. Peters Pond in Sandwich is one of those ponds. It covers 127 acres, with a deep basin at the lake’s northern end that reaches down to 54 feet. The average depth is 25 feet.

Bass anglers will be interested in the history of the pond. In the 1950s, the lake was infested with white perch and suckers. As was customary for the period, the lake was “reclaimed.” The fish were poisoned in 1955 and again in 1968 so that the pond could be managed as a trout fishery. Today, the MassWildlife Division of Fisheries still stocks the lake heavily.

Smallmouth bass were also released into the lake during the late 1970s. These fish acclimated to their new home and now prosper in Peters Pond. The lake bottom is primarily sand. In spring, when smallmouth bass start feeding, look for isolated structures that offset the sand. Such structures are easy to find because the shoreline is well developed with cottages and homes. Docks, moorings and other manmade objects are readily available. Largemouth bass also inhabit the lake.