Ponds & Fishing

Borderland State Park has 6 ponds, and fishing is allowed: DCR says bass, perch, pickerel and sunfish are often caught. The main ones are Leach Pond, in the middle of the park beside the mansion, and Upper Leach Pond and Puds Pond to the north. You can paddle your own canoe or kayak, but only non-motorized boats small enough to carry on a car. Anglers 15 and older need a Massachusetts freshwater fishing license. The major ponds aren't natural: Leach Pond was dammed in 1825 to supply water to an ironworks, and the Ames family made the other two.

Leach Pond

Leach Pond, called Wilbur Pond on some old records, is the main pond at the center of Borderland and the one the Pond Walk circles. DCR's management plan says it was created in 1825 by damming and cutting the Poquanticut cedar swamp to supply water for an ironworks in Easton. DCR's plan notes that low water can reveal stone walls running across a pond bottom, a sign that farming here predates the ponds. The Sharon–Easton town line runs diagonally through it.

On its western shore stands the Ames family's stone shooting lodge, built in 1910–1911, where, the Friends of Borderland say, many scenes from Shutter Island were filmed. The Pond Edge Trail follows the south shore, and Lily Bay, a shallow inlet DCR describes as full of water lilies, painted turtles and birds, opens off the pond near the Smith farmhouse. DCR's hiking sheet calls it Lower Leach Pond.

Upper Leach Pond and Puds Pond

North of Leach Pond, on the Sharon side, are two ponds the Ames family created "to enhance the natural surroundings of their estate," in the words DCR quotes from the park's National Register nomination. DCR's plan dates Puds Pond to 1906 and 1926 and Upper Leach Pond to about 1939. Both are held by dams and dikes that DCR inspects; the plan rates the Puds Pond dam in poor condition. DCR's plan places part of the Pond Walk between Leach and Upper Leach ponds. The plan also lists a small Four Day Pond from about 1938, and DCR's long guided hike ends at Dead Swamp Pond in the far north of the park.

What You'll Catch

DCR's park page names bass, perch, pickerel and sunfish. DCR does not stock the ponds. DCR's management plan notes there are no state fish consumption advisories for any of the ponds, but also that there isn't enough water-quality data for the state to classify their uses. Keep that in mind if you plan to keep fish.

Fishing License and Limits

• Anyone 15 or older needs a Massachusetts freshwater fishing license. MassWildlife makes it free for anglers 15 to 17 and 70 and older. Buy one on MassFishHunt.
• Statewide limits apply. For black bass (largemouth and smallmouth together), MassWildlife allows 5 a day with a 12-inch minimum, all year. Check the full freshwater regulations for other species.
• Kids under 15 fish free without a license.

Where to Fish From Shore

DCR doesn't mark official fishing spots, but the carriage roads and trails touch the water in many places: the Pond Walk around Leach Pond, the Pond Edge Trail along the south shore, the area by the stone lodge, and the edge of Lily Bay. Stay on the trail to reach the water. DCR's plan says people walking down to the water's edge have caused erosion on the dams and dikes, which are historic structures that hold the ponds in.

Canoeing and Kayaking

DCR lists canoeing, kayaking and non-motorized boating at Borderland, with a catch: bring your own boat, and it has to be one you can carry on top of a car. That's DCR's cartop-only rule for these ponds. There are no rentals and no motorboats. Carry your boat in from the parking area along the paths; the trail map shows the carriage roads to the shore.

Can You Swim?

DCR doesn't list swimming among Borderland's activities, and there's no beach or lifeguard. The old swimming pool by the mansion was the Ames family's and is now a historic landscape feature, not a place to swim. If swimming is the point of your trip, check a park whose DCR page lists it before you go; see other parks near Easton.

Fishing Fest and Programs

The Friends of Borderland hold an annual Fishing Fest for families at the Lodge each spring (May 24 in 2026), and DCR has run "Fishing at Borderland" programs in past years. Watch the events page for dates.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

• Good for a quiet paddle: no motorboats, and only cartop canoes and kayaks.
• Good for kids' first fishing trip: easy shore access from the Pond Walk.
• Good for wildlife: Lily Bay's water lilies, painted turtles and birds.
• Maybe skip if you want stocked trout; DCR doesn't stock these ponds.
• Maybe skip if you want to swim; DCR doesn't list swimming here.