Duck Pond Fishing in Carroll County, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Duck Pond falls in Carroll County, part of New Hampshire. The country here is pine and birch. The water covers some 35 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. A shoreline of some 0.9 miles keeps the choices simple. Freedom at 4.1 miles is the nearest place to stop. Beyond it, Madison at 6.5 miles and Effingham at 6.8 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Duck Pond

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Carroll County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brown trout and smallmouth bass. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. The near bank of Duck Pond is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 18°F in January to roughly 69°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Open water usually runs from early April until about mid December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Duck Pond by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. For boats, Ossipee Lake Marina lies half a mile out. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Broad Bay, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Duck Pond before loading the car.