Mashpee-Wakeby Ponds Fishing Spot

• County: Barnstable - Mashpee MA
• Acreage: 729
• Public Fishing: Yes
• Mean Depth: 28'
• Max Depth: 87'
• Elevation: 72'
• Website: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/habitat/maps/ponds/pdf/dfwmashp.pdf
• Last Modified By: vinny60 on 08/19/09 04:37 PM
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Mashpee-Wakeby Ponds are two connected natural kettle hole ponds generally considered to be one large body of water covering 729 acres. Wakeby Pond is the northern basin and Mashpee Pond is the southern basin. The ponds are fed by groundwater and drain to the Mashpee River. Average depth is 28 feet and maximum depth is 87 feet. Transparency is only fair, extending to 8.5 feet, and aquatic vegetation is scant to moderate. The bottom is composed primarily of rubble and gravel, with some sandy areas. The 5.9 miles of shoreline is heavily developed with houses, town beaches, and summer camps. A large undeveloped peninsula (Lowell Holly reservation, managed by the Trustees of Reservations) separates the two ponds and three undeveloped islands (Jefferson, Keith and Cleveland Islands) are found in Wakeby Pond. Access: A large paved boat ramp with a 30-vehicle parking lot is provided by the Office of Fishing and Boating Access and managed by the town of Mashpee. It is located to the north of Route 130, just after its intersection with Great Neck Road. During the summer months, the town of Mashpee collects a parking fee to help defer maintenance costs. Fish Populations: The most recent complete fisheries survey, conducted in 1990, recorded 15 species present: largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white sucker, white perch, pumpkinseed sunfish, white catfish, yellow perch, rainbow trout, alewife, blueback herring, brown bullhead, banded killifish, tessellated darter, chain pickerel and golden shiner. It is stocked annually in the spring and fall with brook, brown and rainbow trout.

Mashpee-Wakeby is an outstanding fishing water. It is stocked annually in the spring and fall with brook, brown and rainbow trout. Although trout water has deteriorated over the years from 22% in 1948 to only trace amounts today, holdover trout are regularly reported from the pond. The south basin is typically the best for trout fishing. This pond is characteristically deoxygenated below 35 feet in late summer, pushing most fish species temporarily above that depth. Good populations of largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are avidly sought during the numerous bass tournaments held at the pond. Chain pickerel, white perch and yellow perch are also frequently caught at the lake, and many are of large size. The numerous gamefish in the pond display good growth rates due to the abundant sea-run alewives which travel up the Mashpee River from Ponponesset Bay and Nantucket Sound. Large white catfish up to and over 6 pounds are sometimes caught by anglers who think they have taken world record bullheads. The north basin is typically the best for warmwater fish action. The islands and the connecting channel between the two basins are reliable hotspots all year.