JOEY PARKER | Special to Lindenlink

Lindenwood University students who enjoy fishing said they have been surprised to learn that a small campus pond offers a big bass fishing experience.

Pfremmer Pond, situated on the back side of campus, is open to anyone with a Missouri fishing license who abides by the campus rules. No restrictions are placed on the size or amount of fish that can be caught per day, although in Missouri it is illegal to keep any largemouth bass under 15 inches long.

Even though Pfremmer Pond is small, it is filled with a variety of species of turtles and fish, but the pond’s primary resident is largemouth bass.

“Pfremmer Pond is a great place to fall back on if I have had a bad day out fishing elsewhere,” said Steve Farina, a senior at Lindenwood University. “I know that I can always rely on coming back to Pfremmer Pond and catching a couple bass before calling it a day.”

One thing that sets Pfremmer Pond apart from other area lakes and ponds is that the fish always seem ready to bite, Farina said.

“This is pretty unique to Pfremmer Pond as most places are hit or miss,” he said.

The large population of fish within the pond has its downside. It seems to have stunted growth, as there is only so much food to go around. Most of the bass caught there weigh a little under a pound and measure about 10 inches in length.

That being said, in October 2017, Fishbrain, the world’s largest community-based fishing app, recorded that a 5.54-pound largemouth bass was caught at Pfremmer Pond under the big tree nearest to the parking lot.

Senior Kyle Lee said he had never fished in his life until he gave it a try at the campus pond.

“I caught my first fish at Pfremmer Pond,” Lee said. “It was a largemouth bass and shortly after catching my first fish, I caught two more off the dock.”

Lee said it changed his views about fishing, which he always assumed was a slow, boring activity.

Despite the good fishing there, Pfremmer Pond might be one of the best-kept secrets at Lindenwood University.

Shawn Mott, a student of Lindenwood for three years, said he did not know about it until this August. Up until then, he would drive for 40 minutes to his “local” fishing hole.

“I wish someone would have told me about Pfremmer Pond three years ago,” he said.