Cliff Pond (Nickerson State Park)

Cliff Pond, the big, deep, crystal-clear kettle pond in the middle of Nickerson State Park in Brewster, is the most heavily stocked trout water on Cape Cod. MassWildlife stocks it every spring and fall with all four of its hatchery trout (brook, brown, rainbow and tiger), and because the pond keeps cold, oxygenated water all year, many of those fish carry over: holdover rainbows and brookies regularly top 2 to 3 pounds, and browns over 5 pounds aren't unusual.

When to fish

• Spring and fall: fresh stockings on top of the holdovers, and the trout can be at almost any depth.
• Summer and early fall: the trout go down to 30 to 40 feet.

Where to fish

• Deep water in summer: the pond averages 33 feet and bottoms out at 96, so there's plenty of cold water for the trout.
• The shoreline: the whole 2.6-mile shore is undeveloped state park, reached by DCR trails, and the shallows are wadeable. Smallmouth and largemouth bass of decent size are here too.

How to fish it

MassWildlife suggests trolling smelt streamers or small, narrow spoons and spinners for the trout; in summer, get them down to 30 to 40 feet.

Getting there

Nickerson State Park is off Route 6A in Brewster and charges a daily parking fee in season. Trailered boats launch from the concrete ramp and fishermen's landing off Nook Road on the west shore (parking for about 10 rigs); cartop boats launch at Cliff Pond Beach off Flax Pond Road on the east shore. Motor size is limited on Cliff Pond. The park has three other trout-stocked ponds and more than 400 campsites. You need a Massachusetts freshwater fishing license, and small lead sinkers and lead jigs are banned in fresh water.