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68-acre pond in Worcester County, Massachusetts. The lake tops out around 15 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. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
The drawn water covers 68 acres wrapped in 1.4 miles of bank. The basin is a simple one (shoreline index 1.2) — close to a bowl, so the structure on the chart matters more than the bank. Tip to tip the water measures near 0.6 mi with a 0.3-mi widest point. Worcester County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Brookhaven Lake, is 5 mi to the southeast.
Early season largemouth bass use the shallows, holding in 2 to 10 ft. Expect a summer slide to 5 to 15 ft, then a winter hold in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Old creek channel (8 ft) | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Old creek channel (8 ft) | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Spring crappie on Hardwick Pond hold shallow, usually 2 to 8 ft. By summer they slide out to 5 to 15 ft, and by winter most fish are in 5 to 15 ft. The chart's best answer is Old creek channel — creek channel, 8 ft, prime for fall. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled).
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (8 ft) | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Old creek channel (8 ft) | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Spring bluegill on Hardwick Pond hold shallow, usually 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 15 ft. Put Shallow bay flat first on the milk run — a weed flat near 2 ft that grades prime for spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Come spring, look for rainbow trout tight to the bank in 4 to 15 ft. Through summer count on 4 to 15 ft; the winter hold is 3 to 15 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Newton Brook inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 10 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon is the honest summer answer here.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Newton Brook inflow (10 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Newton Brook inflow (10 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Old creek channel (8 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 3 to 15 ft | dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Spring puts yellow perch in skinny water — 3 to 12 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 5 to 15 ft, wintering in 5 to 15 ft. Spring yellow perch concentrate at Back-bay flat, a prime-rated weed flat around 5 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 5 to 15 ft | dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 5 to 15 ft | midday | Deep basin (15 ft) | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 5 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Deep basin (15 ft) | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
In spring, chain pickerel run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 15 ft, and winter fish settle into 4 to 15 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 2 ft, rated prime for spring chain pickerel. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Shallow bay flat (2 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 15 ft | dawn | Back-bay flat (5 ft) | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Hardwick 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.
The chart marks 5 structure features on Hardwick Pond; the deepest is Deep basin at about 15 ft.
Access data: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife — Public Water Access. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 10 | Rainbow 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 Hardwick Pond specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Massachusetts fishing regulations →
Hardwick Pond is about 15 ft (5 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 Hardwick Pond.
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 2 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Scroll up to the map for the complete spot list by species and season.
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, Hardwick Pond was most recently stocked Apr 10 with rainbow trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Hardwick 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.
Brookhaven Lake 5 mi · Wickaboag Pond 6 mi · Swift River 7 mi · Quaboag River 8 mi · Forest Lake (Palmer) 8 mi · Doane Pond 9 mi · Horse Pond 9 mi · Arcadia Lake 10 mi · Metacomet Lake 10 mi · Lake Lashaway 11 mi · Quaboag Pond 12 mi · Browning Pond 12 mi
See how Hardwick 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: Worcester County fishing maps (73 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.