Fishing at Bowser Pond, Strafford County, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Bowser Pond is set in Strafford County, New Hampshire. The coast is 28 miles away. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Strafford County list. Nearest place of any size is Sanbornville, 2.9 miles away. Then Wakefield, 3.9 miles, and Acton, 7.1 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Bowser Pond

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Strafford County include rainbow trout, brown trout, largemouth bass and rainbow smelt. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Bowser Pond where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 19°F in January and 68°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about early April to mid December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Bowser Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Middleton Town Forest covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lily Pond, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Bowser Pond.