Coldrain Pond in Strafford County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Strafford County, New Hampshire, is where Coldrain Pond sits. Everything around it is pine and birch. Surface area runs to about 18 acres — small enough to read in one session. Head to New Durham, 1.7 miles away, for anything you forgot. For a city, Manchester is 35 miles off. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Coldrain Pond

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Reported across Strafford County: rainbow trout, brown trout, largemouth bass and rainbow smelt. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Coldrain Pond gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 19°F in January up to 68°F in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. On average, early April opens the water and mid December closes it again. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Coldrain Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. Coldrain Pond Wildlife Management Area takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Club Pond, 1.2 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Coldrain Pond for certain.