May Pond, New Hampshire: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  May Pond lies in Sullivan County, in New Hampshire. Around the bank it is lake country bush. Roughly 112 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. With about 2.3 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Compared with other New Hampshire water on our list, it sits high. The town to know is Lempster, 5.1 miles out. Manchester is the closest city, 37 miles away. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on May Pond

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Sullivan County records list rainbow trout, smallmouth bass and Arctic charr among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At May Pond the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 18°F in January and 66°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about early December in a typical year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. May Pond runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Butterfield Pond, 0.5 miles out. Rules at May Pond are worth checking on the day.