New England Paddler
Great Pond
Great Pond
Last Updated: 3/2023
Great Pond Car Top Launch
Position: 41°58.43'N 70°01.95'W (position approximate)
Boat Launch:
Boat Launch:
Access is through an unmarked dirt road off of Route 6, 0.7 miles north of the Truro/Wellfleet line. Look for it just beyond Savage Road. Anglers must park along the shoulder of Route 6 and walk in. A steep dirt path leads to a shallow cove at the eastern end of the pond. Access is suitable only for wading anglers, canoes and lightweight cartop boats.
Nearest Launch Address:
1 Great Pond Road, Truro, MA 02666
Great Pond, located in the town of Truro falls into the National Seashore.
The Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS) was created on August 7, 1961 by President
John F. Kennedy. It encompasses 43,607 acres on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
Included are ponds, woods and beachfront of the Atlantic coastal pine barrens eco-region. The CCNS includes nearly 40 miles of seashore along the Atlantic-facing eastern shore of Cape Cod, in the towns of Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Orleans and Chatham. It is administered by the National Park Service.
Learn more by visiting the National Park Service website below:
Cape Cod National Seashore
STATISTICS
Skill Level: Class 1 - Flat water
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Perimeter: 0.75 miles
USGS Map: Provincetown, MA
USGS Map: Provincetown, MA
Physical Features
- Area: 17 acres
- Max depth: 35 feet
- Average Depth: 14 feet
- Transparency: 14 feet
- Terrain Type: Sand, Scrub Pine, Dunes, Marsh, State Wildlife Management Area and National Seashore
- Altitude: 3 feet
Fish Population
- Last survey: 1990
- 6 Species: brook trout, brown bullhead, banded killifish, pumpkinseed sunfish, smallmouth bass and yellow perch.
Management History
Great Pond was stocked with smallmouth bass prior to the 1950s. It was reclaimed for trout management in 1958 and about 47 pounds of fish per acre were removed. Species present were largemouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, white perch, banded killifish, and johnny (tesselated) darters. Great Pond was reclaimed again 1966 and 1971. It was dominated by yellow perch at the time of the first reclamation; killifish and largemouth bass at the time of the second; and golden shiners and pumpkinseed sunfish at the time of the third. The pond was limed in 1973 to counteract the effects of acid rain. It was limed again in 1985 and a study was undertaken to determine effects of the treatment on fish and invertebrates. After the liming, smallmouth bass were able to reproduce successfully.
Great Pond was stocked with smallmouth bass prior to the 1950s. It was reclaimed for trout management in 1958 and about 47 pounds of fish per acre were removed. Species present were largemouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, white perch, banded killifish, and johnny (tesselated) darters. Great Pond was reclaimed again 1966 and 1971. It was dominated by yellow perch at the time of the first reclamation; killifish and largemouth bass at the time of the second; and golden shiners and pumpkinseed sunfish at the time of the third. The pond was limed in 1973 to counteract the effects of acid rain. It was limed again in 1985 and a study was undertaken to determine effects of the treatment on fish and invertebrates. After the liming, smallmouth bass were able to reproduce successfully.
Fishing
Great Pond is stocked annually in the spring with brook trout. Good holdover brook trout, some exceeding one pound, were noted in the 1990 survey. These fish are very susceptible to garden worms fished near the bottom, or to flys, trolled streamers, small spinners and spoons fished at moderate depths. During high summer, look for the trout to be holding at depths of 18 to 21 feet. Smallmouth bass up to 14 inches and a pound and a half were noted during the last survey, and larger ones are sure to occur.
Description
So the State of Massachusetts has a definition of lakes/ponds that are held in common for all. They call it a "Great Pond" so don't get it confused with this pond with the same name. Click on the logo in the upper right for more information. That be said, this pond is primarily used by anglers. Few people access it during the year making it a quiet spot that is difficult to access.
Aquatic vegetation is scarce and the bottom is composed primarily of sand. The 0.75 miles of shoreline are lightly developed with residential homes. The pond is on the acidic side and pH is generally below 6.0 during the spring.
