Keyser Pond Fishing near Henniker, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Keyser Pond lies in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. The country here is pine and birch. At roughly 18 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. The closest town, Henniker, is 3 miles away. Manchester is the closest city, 20 miles away. Not far off: French Pond a touch under 1.1 miles, Mud Pond about 1.4 miles, Middle Pond a touch under 2.3 miles, Upper Pond about 2.5 miles and Grassy Pond a touch under 2.7 miles. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Keyser Pond

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Open biodiversity records for Merrimack County list rainbow trout, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Keyser Pond a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 69°F and January about 20°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about mid December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Keyser Pond rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is a fishing place at Keyser Pond, some 150 yards away. Mapping shows a campsite some 0.9 miles from the water. The water borders Ames State Forest, so reserve rules are likely to apply. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, French Pond is 1.1 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Keyser Pond for certain.