Stoney Pond, located in Madison County in the Town of Nelson, is part of the 1,469 acre Stoney Pond State Forest Area.
Physical Features:
Elevation: 1600 feet
Area: 28 acres
Shoreline Length: 1.1 miles
Length: 0.38 miles
Maximum Depth: 12 feet
County & Town: Madison County, Town of Nelson
Aquatic Plant Life:
Most of the shoreline of the pond has significant rooted aquatic vegetation growth.
Access:
Off Jones Road in the Town of Nelson. Hand launch. Parking for 6 cars. No Gas Powered Motors Allowed.
For more information on this launch including Google Maps driving directions, visit the Boat Launch Sites for Madison County page.
Fish Species:
Largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, pumpkinseed sunfish, bluegill, and golden shiner.
Fishing:
Because of its small size and high elevation, this is one of the first lakes in the area to ice-up and is a good early ice fishing location. However, the pond is located on a seasonal road that is not plowed, so on years of deep snow it can be hard to access. The pond is best suited for fishing from a kayak or canoe. There is some shore access at the launch site and along the dam. Panfish are very abundant but run on the small side, with few fish reaching 8 inches.
Regulations:
Statewide Fishing Regulations Apply.
Fisheries Management:
Stoney Pond is not stocked and statewide angling regulations apply.
Fisheries Survey:
A nighttime boat electrofishing survey was conducted on Stoney Pond on June 6, 2017. The purpose of this survey was to evaluate age, growth, and abundance of the reservoir's sportfish community. Overall, 729 fish were caught, representing 9 species. Bluegill were the most numerous with 299 caught (44% of catch) followed by pumpkinseed sunfish (n=194, 27% of catch). Though bluegill were abundant, there were few of preferred length (8 in). No preferred length pumpkinseeds were collected. Largemouth bass (n=49, 7% of catch) and chain pickerel (n=31, 4% of catch) were the only two gamefish caught. Largemouth bass over 10 inches were caught at 46 per hour. The current statewide angling regulations appear to be appropriate to maintain the fishery.