Emory Pond, New Hampshire: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Emory Pond sits in Merrimack County, out in New Hampshire. The ground around here is pine and birch. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Our Merrimack County list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest place of any size is Franklin, 4.3 miles away. The big place round here is Manchester, 35 miles distant. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Emory Pond

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Merrimack County cover rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and brown trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Emory Pond gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 68°F; the cold one sits at 19°F. 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. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near mid December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Emory Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Highland Lake, 1.4 miles away. Rules at Emory Pond are worth checking on the day.