Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
17-acre pond in Franklin County, Massachusetts. The lake tops out around 20 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.
On the chart, Cranberry Pond draws 17 acres inside 0.8 miles of shoreline. A shoreline index of 1.4 says round and simple: fish relate to depth changes here, not shoreline features. Roughly 88% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. Call it 0.3 mi long. You'll find it in Franklin County. Closest neighbour on DepthScout: Leverett Pond, 3 mi south of here.
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 20 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 20 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 9 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait until the fish tell you otherwise.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Main-lake point (1 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: crappie in 2 to 8 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 6 to 20 ft before dropping to 6 to 20 ft for winter. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for crappie in winter. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 8 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring puts bluegill in skinny water — 1 to 6 ft is the zone. Warm water sends them out to 4 to 15 ft; cold water stacks them in 6 to 20 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 1 ft, rated prime for spring bluegill. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Break off the point (9 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer keeps them at 5 to 20 ft, and they winter in 4 to 20 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (9 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 4 to 20 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
When the water first warms, yellow perch slide up into 3 to 12 ft. Summer is a 6 to 20 ft game here, winter a 6 to 20 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning. Keep a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Deep basin (20 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (20 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Come spring, look for chain pickerel tight to the bank in 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 1 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (1 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Break off the point (9 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Cranberry Pond also holds pumpkinseed (2 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 12 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 20 ft, is the deepest of them.
Access data: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife — Public Water Access. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 21 | Rainbow Trout | — | — |
| Mar 31 | Brown Trout | — | — |
| Mar 31 | Eastern Brook Trout | — | — |
Source: MassWildlife trout-stocking report, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Massachusetts waters are set by the MassWildlife — and special regulations can apply to Cranberry Pond specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Cranberry Pond is about 20 ft (6 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, rainbow trout, yellow perch, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead on Cranberry Pond.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 9 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per MassWildlife trout-stocking report records, Cranberry Pond was most recently stocked Apr 21 with rainbow trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Cranberry Pond is regulated by the MassWildlife. Check the official Massachusetts regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Leverett Pond 3 mi · Lake Wyola 5 mi · Roaring Brook Reservoir 8 mi · Lake Warner 8 mi · Lake Mattawa 11 mi · Millers River 12 mi · Lake Rohunta 13 mi · Lake Rohunta N.B. 13 mi · Arcadia Lake 14 mi · Upper Highland Lake 14 mi · Metacomet Lake 14 mi · Lower Highland Lake 14 mi
See how Cranberry Pond stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Massachusetts · best crappie lakes in Massachusetts · best bluegill lakes in Massachusetts · best rainbow trout lakes in Massachusetts
More water nearby: Franklin County fishing maps (9 charts). Browse all Massachusetts fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.