Fishing at Little Cherry Pond, Coos County, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Set in Coos County, Little Cherry Pond is a New Hampshire water. The ground around here is rolling bush. The water measures roughly 21 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Nearest place of any size is Jefferson, 3.7 miles away. Whitefield follows at 4.1 miles, then Lancaster at 7.7 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Little Cherry Pond

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Coos County: rainbow trout, brown trout, rainbow smelt and Atlantic salmon. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Little Cherry Pond light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 14°F to 66°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On Little Cherry Pond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Part of this sits inside or beside Pondicherry Division of Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, so read the notices. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Mud Pond, 0.8 miles away. Check the position on Little Cherry Pond before loading the car.