Mack Pond Fishing near Madison, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Mack Pond belongs to Carroll County, New Hampshire. The ground around here is lake country bush. At 12 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Carroll County list. Madison lies 1 mile from the water. Manchester sits 64 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Mack Pond

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Carroll County records list rainbow trout, brown trout and smallmouth bass among the fish reported. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Mack Pond the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 68°F; by January the average is down near 18°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. The open-water window runs from around early April to about mid December in an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Mack Pond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Blue Pond is 0.2 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Mack Pond for certain.