Fishing at Butterfly: The Back Pond Guide
Jul 7, 2026 · Camping Tips · 2 min read
Some campgrounds have a pond the way a hotel has a lobby fountain — nice to look at, nothing more. Ours is not that pond. This season alone, campers have pulled bass up to five pounds out of the back pond, and any given summer evening you'll find families lined along the bank with rods in hand and a cooler of drinks between them.
The back pond sits tucked behind the campground, away from the pool and pavilion bustle, which is exactly what makes it work — for the fish and for the parents. It's a short walk from any site, the banks are kid-friendly, and the pace is the opposite of everything else on a summer Saturday.
When to go: early morning and the last hour before dusk are the honest answer, same as any pond in New Jersey. That said, our campers catch fish at every hour — Memorial Day weekend the fishing was fantastic literally all weekend. Summer evenings after dinner have become the unofficial community fishing hour.
What to bring: nothing fancy. A basic spinning rod, a small box of soft plastics or spinnerbaits for the bass, and worms if the kids just want action. If your crew is new to fishing, this is a wonderful first pond — the stakes are low, the walk is short, and when a bass hits, the whole bank hears about it.
The house rules keep it good for everyone: it's catch and release, so today's five-pounder is still in there waiting for your kids next weekend. Handle the fish gently, wet your hands first, and get your photo quick — because nobody back home will believe you otherwise.
And that's the real magic of the pond. Fish stories. The five-pounder gets retold at the ice cream social, grows an inch by B.I.N.G.O night, and by the end of the season it's legend. Every family that camps here long enough has one.
Pack the rods next trip — they take up no room and they buy you the quietest, best hour of the weekend. The bass are waiting.
🦋 Tight lines from all of us at Butterfly Camping Resort! 🦋