Hearns Pond Fishing Spot
- Mean Depth: 4'
- Max Depth: 9'
- Last Modified By: vinny60 on 09/22/09 12:44 AM
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Duckweed has been a common sight over much of the pond surface in recent years, blowing around the pond with the wind. Several spatterdock beds provide some cover, especially in the back half of the ponds (both arms). Often filamentous algal mats float on the water’s surface and can impede fishing at times.
Hearns Pond Description
A new water control structure at Hearns Pond was installed in 2002, following a washout of the earthen dyke adjacent to the dam. By late September, restocking of the pond’s fish populations was initiated. Most of the gamefish stocked into the pond came from the Nanticoke River and other Nanticoke watershed impoundments in an effort to duplicate the gene pool of the original populations. Largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, redear sunfish, and golden shiners were originally stocked to supplement the few fish remaining following the washout. An electrofishing survey of the pond was conducted in 2003 to determine the survival of the stocked fish and determine if additional fish were needed. Although the abundance of largemouth bass was below average for a Delaware pond, the rate of 60+ fish per hour was higher than might be expected for a recently stocked impoundment. Many schools of bass fry were observed at the time indicating that reproduction by stocked fish had been successful. This population should continue to improve as it ages. Bluegill and black crappie numbers were quite low. In 2004, about 1,100 additional bluegill (5-inch average size) and 50 pounds of golden shiner were stocked to supplement those populations in Hearns Pond. Redear sunfish were collected in low numbers. Monitoring of the recovery of the fish populations is continuing. Both creek chubsucker and brown bullhead, although not stocked, were also present in moderate numbers. The boat ramp was replaced and angled toward deeper water during the reconstruction of the dam. This has made a big improvement in boat access into the pond. A local bass club, the Backlash Bass Anglers, constructed and installed a number of fish habitat units when the pond water level was down prior to reconstruction of the dam. This has greatly enhanced fish habitat within the pond. A special largemouth bass slot limit remains in effect here: a six bass a day possession limit, of which only one fish may be greater than 18 inches. Any bass caught between the protected slot limit of 15 and 18 inches must be immediately released.