Goose Pond Fishing near Alexandria, New Hampshire

• Overview

  This water sits in Grafton County, New Hampshire. What surrounds it is mixed forest. It covers about 17 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Alexandria lies 2 miles from the water. Manchester sits 48 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Goose Pond

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Grafton County include rainbow trout, brook trout and smallmouth bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Goose Pond the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 18°F to 67°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Goose Pond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. This sits inside Sugarloaf Ridge-Goose Pond Conservation Area, so read the reserve notices first. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Newfound Lake at 1.8 miles is the sensible second choice. The position on Goose Pond is worth confirming on the day.