Island Pond Fishing near Lempster, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Island Pond stands in Sullivan County, New Hampshire. The surface lies 1,411 feet up. Surface area is around 199 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Some 3.1 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. Size puts it in the front rank of our Sullivan County list. For supplies, Lempster is 8.5 miles out. Further out sit Hillsborough (9.4 miles) and Newbury (10 miles). The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Island Pond

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Across Sullivan County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, smallmouth bass and Arctic charr. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Island Pond the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 19°F to 67°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to 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 Island Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. Journey's End (The Bell-Cofield Forest) takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Freezeland Pond sits 1 mile off and takes the overflow. The position on Island Pond is worth confirming on the day.