Russell Pond Fishing Spot

• County: Hampden - Russell MA
• Acreage: 71
• Public Fishing: Yes
• Mean Depth: 15'
• Max Depth: 34'
• Website: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/habitat/maps/ponds/pdf/dfwrusse.pdf
• Last Modified By: vinny60 on 08/19/09 08:59 PM
• Ask about Russell Pond in our Fishing Forums

This 71-acre, relatively infertile natural great pond is also known as Hazzard Pond or Woronoake Lake. It has an average depth of 15 feet and a maximum depth of 34 feet. The bottom is composed primarily of silt and rock. Transparency is very good, extending to 12 feet or more, but aquatic vegetation is uncommon. The shoreline is very lightly developed. The pond is located less than a mile south of Route 23. Access and parking are extremely limited, but car top boats and canoes can be launched from the beach from September through June. The unpaved parking area can accommodate approximately 10 vehicles. Public access is restricted to daylight hours and only electric motors are allowed. Fish Populations: largemouth bass, chain pickerel, rainbow trout, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, rock bass and golden shiner.

This pond once supported a spring trout fishery, but trout are probably no longer present, as the pond has been dropped from the MDFW stocking list, primarily due to the public access problem. Neither the bass nor the pickerel populations show much promise, as most of the ones which turned up in the sample were of small size and relatively uncommon. Best bet here is probably winter jigging for yellow perch. Perch are the dominant panfish, show above average growth rates, and there are fair numbers in the 9 to 12 inch size range.