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Ponkapoag Pond

Coordinates: 42°11′33″N 71°05′42″W / 42.19250°N 71.09500°W / 42.19250; -71.09500
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Ponkapoag Pond
Pond with Great Blue Hill in the distance
Ponkapoag Pond is located in Massachusetts
Ponkapoag Pond
Ponkapoag Pond
LocationCanton, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°11′33″N 71°05′42″W / 42.19250°N 71.09500°W / 42.19250; -71.09500
TypePond
Basin countriesUnited States
Managing agencyDepartment of Conservation and Recreation
Surface area203 acres (82 ha)
Max. depth7 feet (2.1 m)
Surface elevation151 ft (46 m)

Ponkapag Pond is a 203-acre impoundment in the Blue Hills Reservation. The pond is located on the border of Canton and Randolph, Massachusetts about a half mile south of Route 128 and a half mile east of Route 138. It has a maximum depth of seven feet and an average depth of four feet. As would be expected on a pond this shallow, aquatic vegetation is pervasive and very abundant. Only a small portion of the eastern shoreline is developed; the southeastern and western shores are bordered by large expanses of marshland. A walking trail circles the pond, with parking at three locations.[1]

The name comes from a Native American[clarification needed] word meaning a spring that bubbles up from red soil, sweet water, or shallow pond.[2]

Camping

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The Appalachian Mountain Club operates the AMC Ponkapoag Camp on the eastern shore of the pond. The camp has 20 cabins and two tent sites, available for rental year-round.

Fishing

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There is street-side parking and a place to launch cartop boats and canoes at Fisherman's Beach on the pond's southern side.[3]

Although there are some limited areas where shore fishing is possible, the heavy weeds make it difficult to cover much productive water without a boat. There are abundant bass, panfish and pickerel, though trophy fish are decidedly rare.[3]

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References

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  1. ^ "Blue Hills Reservation Trail Map". Mass.gov. Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Ponkapoag Pond". USGS.GOV. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Ponkapoag Pond (Randolph & Canton)" (PDF). Massachusetts Pond Maps. Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife). Retrieved 20 June 2018.