Long Pond Fishing near Henniker, New Hampshire

• Overview

  In New Hampshire, Long Pond belongs to Merrimack County. It sits in pine and birch. At about 92 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Around 2.3 miles of margin, front to back. Size puts it in the front rank of our Merrimack County list. Nearest town is Henniker, 1.7 miles off. Beyond it, Contoocook at 5 miles and Hopkinton at 6.8 miles. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Long Pond

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Merrimack County: rainbow trout, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Long Pond to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 20°F in January and 69°F in July. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early April. Ice clears near early April and comes back about mid December in a typical year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Long Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Middle Pond is 0.6 miles off. Where Long Pond is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.