Fishing at Lyford Pond, Merrimack County, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Look for Lyford Pond in the Merrimack County part of New Hampshire. The surroundings are mixed forest. It runs to roughly 25 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Start from Belmont, 3.2 miles down the road. Manchester is the closest city, 28 miles away. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Lyford Pond

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Merrimack County list rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, brown trout and rainbow smelt. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Lyford Pond gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 68°F, while January sits near 19°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. On Lyford Pond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. For a change of water, New Pond is 0.3 miles distant. Rules at Lyford Pond are worth checking on the day.