Killen Pond is a reservoir in Delaware, near Kent County.
Killen Pond, better known locally as Killens Pond, is a 75.1-acre impoundment on the Murderkill River. It reaches about 7 feet and holds roughly 250.6 acre-feet, giving anglers a shallow millpond with a defined river connection.
The pond traces to a late-1700s millpond, while the surrounding state park opened in the 1960s. The Murderkill River connection is the detail to remember: moving water, the old channel and the ends of the impoundment can fish differently from broad, quiet flats.
Largemouth bass make the most sense around shoreline wood, vegetation and any bend in the old channel. Spinnerbaits and shallow crankbaits can search, while a Texas rig or jig works once a productive piece of cover is found. Crappie and bluegill respond to minnows, small jigs, worms and crickets around brush and shaded edges.
For largemouth bass at Killen Pond, cast a compact spinnerbait or shallow crankbait to cover, then slow down with a Texas-rigged worm or small jig. Black crappie at Killen Pond respond to a 1/32- or 1/16-ounce jig and live minnows beside brush, shaded wood or the deepest water available. Bluegill in Killen Pond can be caught with a piece of worm, cricket or tiny jig under a small float, especially where shade meets vegetation.
Spring at Killen Pond puts the best shallow-water opportunity around warming banks, new vegetation and protected spawning areas. On Killen Pond, I would begin with a spinnerbait, jerkbait or small crankbait, then use a soft plastic when a specific piece of cover produces a bite.
Summer fishing on Killen Pond is controlled by oxygen, shade and the deepest useful water the pond offers. Early and late at Killen Pond, a topwater or frog can work over shallow cover. Under bright sun at Killen Pond, slow down beside vegetation, wood or the old channel rather than casting blindly across the flat.
During fall, baitfish movement gives Killen Pond anglers another chance to use crankbaits, spinnerbaits and small swimbaits. A cold front over Killen Pond can slow that bite, so keep a jig or worm ready. In winter, Killen Pond's most stable water and any remaining green vegetation deserve the first casts.
A medium-power spinning rod with 8-pound line handles the smaller jigs, worms and crappie baits used at Killen Pond. For Killen Pond's heavier cover, a medium-heavy baitcasting rod with 12- to 15-pound line is better for spinnerbaits, frogs and plastics. Those two setups cover most Killen Pond situations without turning a pond trip into a tackle-hauling exercise.
Begin with the shadiest bank, then compare it with a windblown edge before changing lures. That simple comparison is especially useful on Killen Pond. Killens Pond was one of the waters chosen for donated Christmas-tree habitat bundles. In a lake only seven feet deep, those bundles can become important crappie and bass cover instead of disappearing far below the practical fishing zone.
The old channel runs through the impoundment, so anglers should watch for the subtle deeper route between the upper pond and dam.
The lake is shallow. Added brush creates one of the few concentrated pieces of vertical cover available to bass and crappie.
A compact spinnerbait is easy to work through stained, shallow cover; follow it with a Texas-rigged worm when fish will not chase.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.