Bickford Pond near Porter: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Within Carroll County, New Hampshire, you have Bickford Pond. The surface lies 459 feet up. Surface area is around 214 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Roughly 2.9 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Few waters listed in Carroll County are bigger. 3.5 miles away sits Porter, the nearest town. Manchester sits 63 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Bickford Pond

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Fish documented in Carroll County include rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Atlantic salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Bickford Pond a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 68°F; by January the average is down near 18°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about mid December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. At Bickford Pond the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Bickford Pond covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Colcord Pond, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Bickford Pond is worth confirming on the day.