Lily Pond Fishing near Gilford, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Lily Pond falls in Belknap County, part of New Hampshire. Beyond the shoreline you have pine and birch. Roughly 46 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Bank access stretches around 1.0 miles in total. The closest town, Gilford, is 2 miles distant. The nearest city of size is Manchester, 40 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lily Pond

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Belknap County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Lily Pond light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 69°F and January near 18°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. From about early April to around mid December, expect open water on the long-run figures. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Lily Pond runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Paugus Bay, 1.4 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Lily Pond for certain.