Freshwater fishing: Ponds and lakes on Long Island ready for rods

For freshwater fishing, all you need is a basic, well-made fishing rod and appropriate bait. Here are some places on Long Island where you might try dropping a line — and an idea of what might be biting.

NASSAU

FOREST CITY PARK POND, 6-acre pond, Wantagh; largemouth bass, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill, American eel.

FREEPORT RESERVOIR, 18-acre pond; bass, carp, crappie, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill, American eel.

GRANT PARK POND, 6-acre pond, Hewlett; bass, bluegill, carp, American eel. No boats.

HEMPSTEAD LAKE, 167 acres, West Hempstead; bass, pickerel, perch, crappie, bluegill, carp, pumpkinseed.

MASSAPEQUA LAKE/CAROONS LAKE, 40 acres, Massapequa Preserve; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, bluegill, pumpkinseed, carp, white and yellow perch, bullhead. Boat permit needed.

MASSAPEQUA RESERVOIR, 20 acres; stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March, April and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, American eel, carp, pumpkinseed, bluegill, bullhead. No boats.

MCDONALD POND, 1 acre, Hempstead Lake State Park; stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout in fall; largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, bullhead. No boats.

OYSTER BAY MILL POND, 20 acres, West Shore Road and Lake Avenue, Oyster Bay; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring and brown trout in fall; largemouth bass, brown bullhead and others. No boats.

SMITH POND, 19 acres, Rockville Centre; bass, pickerel, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, carp and others. No boats.

SOUTH POND, 19 acres, Hempstead Lake State Park, directly across from McDonald Pond; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, carp; stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout in the fall. No boats.

UPPER TWIN POND, 20 acres between Wantagh Parkway and Old Mill Road, Wantagh; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring and fall; black crappie, largemouth bass, carp, bluegill, brown bullhead, American eel, pumpkinseed and others. No boats.

WANTAGH MILL POND, 15 acres west of Wantagh State Parkway on north side of Merrick Road; perch, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, bluegill, American eel, pumpkinseed and others. No boats.

SUFFOLK

ARGYLE LAKE, 25 acres, Carlls River, Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, yellow perch, sunfish and others. No boats.

ARTIST LAKE, 30-acre kettle hole, Middle Island; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappie, perch and others. No boats except canoes or hand-carried boats.

BELMONT LAKE, 19 acres, Belmont Lake State Park, West Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring; largemouth bass, bluegill, carp, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed, yellow perch. No private boats. Park rents boats for fishing.

BIG REED POND, 45 acres, Montauk County Park; largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, white perch. Hand-carry boat launch allowed.

CANAAN LAKE, 26-acre human-made lake, north end of Ohls Street, North Patchogue; rainbow trout in the spring and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed.

CARLLS RIVER, Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March; carp, perch, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, bluegill, pumpkinseed.

CARMANS RIVER, Yaphank-Shirley, about 10 miles long, from near Route 25 to Great South Bay; stocked with brown trout in March, brown and rainbow trout in April and May, brown trout in fall.

CONNETQUOT RIVER, 8 miles long, from Lakeland County Park to Great South Bay; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in May.

FORGE POND, 120 acres, South River Road, Calverton; largemouth bass, pickerel, carp, brown bullhead, crappie, perch, pumpkinseed, bluegill. Trailed boat and hand-carry boat launches are available.

FORT POND, 181 acres, Montauk; bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, walleye, perch, carp. Trailed boat launch allowed.

FRESH POND, 35 acres, Montauk; bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed. Hand-carry boat launch allowed.

FRESH POND, 15 acres, Shelter Island; bass, bluegill, carp, pumpkinseed. Hand-carry boat launch allowed.

GREAT POND, 50 acres, Southold; largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, crappie, yellow perch, bluegill. Town of Southold parking permit required.

HARDS LAKE, 30 acres, Southaven County Park, Brookhaven; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March and April, brown in May; largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead. No private boats; rentals only.

HOOK POND, 64 acres, East Hampton; largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead. Village of East Hampton parking permit required.

KAHLERS POND, 13 acres, East Moriches, north of Merrick Road; stocked with rainbow trout in March, brown trout in fall; bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill. Hand launched boats are allowed.

LAKE RONKONKOMA, 243-acre glacial kettle hole; 65 feet at deepest; bass, bluegill, carp, brown bullhead, crappie, pumpkinseed, perch, chain pickerel, walleye. Boats permitted, launched from DEC boat launch. No gas motors.

LAUREL LAKE, 30 acres north of Route 25; Laurel; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in April; bass, bluegill, perch, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed.

MARRATOOKA POND, 26 acres, Mattituck; largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead.

MILLERS POND, 21 acres, Smithtown; largemouth bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead, sunfish. No boats.

NISSEQUOGUE RIVER, about 8 miles long from Hauppauge to the Sound; stocked with brown trout in March-April and rainbow trout in April and brown trout in the fall.

PATCHOGUE LAKE, 40 acres; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, crappie, brown bullhead, yellow perch. Hand launched boats are allowed.

POXABOGUE POND, 44 acres, Village of Sagaponack; bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed. No boats.

RANDALL POND, 4 acres north of Middle Country Road, Ridge; bass, bluegill, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed. Hand-launched boats allowed.

RATTLESNAKE CREEK, Oakdale, tidal waters south of Montauk Highway; stocked with rainbow trout in May.

SAYVILLE MILL POND, 6 acres, Montauk Highway and Mill Pond Road; largemouth bass, sunfish. Hand launched boats are allowed.

SEARS AND BELLOWS PONDS, Hampton Bays; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, bluegill. Park rents rowboats.

SOUTHARDS POND, 19 acres, Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, carp, pickerel. No boats.

STUMP POND/BLYDENBURGH LAKE, 100 acres, Blydenburgh County Park, Smithtown; largemouth bass, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill, black crappie, common carp. Hand launched boats are allowed.

SWAN (EAST) LAKE, 30 acres north of Montauk Highway, East Patchogue; stocked with rainbow, brown trout in April; largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, brown bullhead. Hand-launched boats are allowed.

SWAN POND, 57 acres, Calverton; chained pickerel, bluegill, bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead, crappie, pumpkinseed. Boats and electric trolling motors are allowed.

TWIN PONDS, 5 acres, Betty Allen Nature Preserve, Route 25A, Centerport; stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March and brown trout in the fall; bluegill, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass. No boats.

UPPER MILLS POND, 60-acre body downstream from Forge Pond, Calverton; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, brown bullhead, perch, carp, pumpkinseed, bluegill. Hand-launched boats are allowed.

WEST LAKE, 20 acres, just north of Montauk Highway and west of Waverly Avenue, Patchogue; stocked with brown trout in March, brown and rainbow trout in April and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead. Hand-launched boats are allowed.

WILDWOOD LAKE, 64 acres, Northampton; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, perch, brown bullhead, rock bass. Town of Southampton residents only. Nonresidents can fish with a town-licensed guide.

Source: State Department of Environmental Conservation