Description
Great Herring Pond, historically known as Lake Manomet, is a 424-acre great pond with an average depth of 21 feet and a maximum depth of 47 feet. Its outlet is the Herring River, formerly known as Monument River, which used to flow into Buzzards Bay. This river now enters the Cape Cod Canal at the Bournedale Herring Run. The pond’s water supply is an inlet from Little Herring Pond, cranberry bogs and groundwater. Water color is generally clear and transparency is about 8 feet. Due its windswept nature, the pond does not stratify during the summer months. The pond has 5.3 miles of shoreline which is moderately developed with houses, roads, cranberry bogs and a summer camp (Camp Bournedale). The bottom is primarily sand and rubble with mud in deeper and more sheltered areas.
Recreational access
MassWildlife manages a gravel boat ramp suitable for trailered craft and associated parking area with space for approximately 6 cars (get directions). The ramp and parking area is located off Little Sandy Pond Rd adjacent to the intersection with Herring Pond Rd. The ramp is shallow, sandy, and unimproved; four wheel drive vehicles are recommended if trying to launch a trailered craft. Please contact the Southeast District Offices of MassWildlife for additional information and/or restrictions pertaining to public access of Great Herring Pond.
The gravel and sand boat ramp at Great Herring Pond off Little Sandy Pond Road.
Parking for the Great Herring Pond boat ramp.
Fish populations
The following fish species were found during MassWildlife surveys:
- largemouth bass
- smallmouth bass
- chain pickerel
- yellow perch
- white perch
- brown bullhead
- bluegill
- pumpkinseed
- white sucker
- banded killifish
- golden shiner
- American eel
- alewife
- blueback herring
Fishing
Great Herring Pond offers good smallmouth bass and white perch fishing. Try off the points on the eastern shore and also the two sunken islands near the center of the pond. Abundant forage from the Bournedale herring run translates into good growth rates for gamefish and panfish but may make the gamefish a little harder to catch during the summer months when schools of young-of-year herring are readily available. Great Herring Pond has produced largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, white perch, black crappie, bullhead, and sunfish that meet minimum sizes for recognition by the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program.
More fishing resources:
Stop aquatic hitchhikers
Prevent the transport of nuisance species; clean all recreational equipment. Visit ProtectYourWaters.net to learn more.