Fishing at Mud Pond, Belknap County, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Look for Mud Pond in Belknap County, New Hampshire. The bank is 502 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 4 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Our Belknap County list holds plenty of bigger water. Some 4.3 miles away sits Meredith, the nearest settlement. Then Laconia, 6.4 miles, and Ashland, 7.6 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Mud Pond

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Belknap County cover rainbow trout, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Mud Pond the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 68°F, the coldest about 18°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near mid December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Time your trip to Mud Pond by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Boats go in at Pickering Park Boat Ramp, roughly half a mile from the water. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. The water borders Chemung State Forest, so reserve rules are likely to apply. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Wickwas Lake is 0.9 miles distant. Treat access at Mud Pond as something to verify.