If there were ever a more pathetic, small pond, I have not seen it. The Hughesville Pond is 250 feet long and approximately 75 feet across at its widest point. It is not much to look at. The vista gazing south from the parking lot is one of a small, almost stagnant pond lying in a large ditch between a commercial area to the east and a wooded lot to the west.
The northern end abuts directly on MD 5, a major road that serenades anglers with the constant throaty roar of truck engines. The pond is surrounded by narrow grassy belt that transitions gently into the shallow shelf that protects the shore. The shoreline itself is usually thick with matted algae and grass, making casting with a lure problematic. The best place to fish the pond is adjacent to the road where it is deepest. The distant southern end, near the woods, runs up on a shallow shelf that supports a greater volume of algae than anywhere else in the lake. That is not an issue with most of the anglers who take advantage of the 800 or so trout that are stocked in increments during the Spring. They broke the code and realized that bait is the only way to yank fish out of this sad body of water.
Unlike other local Parks, there are no facilities to speak of adjacent to the pond. Granted, the formal Hughesville Pond Recreation Area is 100 yards to the west, but there is nothing here other than a picnic table with a single, isolated barbecue stand along with several benches created by suspending a large, board between two posts buried in the ground. All this may sound horrible, but it’s really all any angler needs given the situation. If you come here, you’re not here for a pleasant experience, you are here to catch a few stocked trout.
On the positive side, the commercial area adjacent to the pond features an insurance broker, an OB/GYN and a church. The opportunity to fish would amplify the enjoyment of attending religious services and minimize the pain associated with visiting the other commercial operations!
Bottom Line: Not worth the drive.
Getting There:
North: From I-95/I-495 take exit 7A onto MD 5/Branch Avenue towards Waldorf. Follow Branch Avenue to the outskirts of Waldorf and turn left on the Mattawoman Beantown Road (still on MD 5). Make a final left on Leonardtown road and follow it approximately 7 miles. Immediately after passing the Hughesville Pond Recreation Area, be prepared to turn right approximately 500 feet farther east. The pond is on the right; marked by a brown sign that designates the area as the Hughesville Community Park. The turn comes up quick, so be alert.
South: Locate the town of Hughesville on the map. Follow MD 5 north from Hughesville approximately a mile and a half. The lake is on the left and if you pass the Hughesville Pond Recreation Area, you have gone too far
Access point: 38.549119,-76.803275
Hughesville Pond Trout Fishing Secrets Revealed? No. This is a very public location that is documented in the Maryland DNR stocking plan.
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Date Fished: 4/2/2011
This sign is adjacent to the pond
Drop your wife at the OB/GYN and you go fishing
The view to the south from the parking area
The view back to the road
Unless stated otherwise, this article was authored by Steve Moore