Fishing Ottarnic Pond in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Out in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, sits Ottarnic Pond. Salt water lies 29 miles off. It measures about 40 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Ground here is low by New Hampshire standards. Hudson is the closest town at 0.9 miles. The big place round here is Lowell, 11 miles distant. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Ottarnic Pond

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Hillsborough County include rainbow trout, largemouth bass, brown trout, smallmouth bass and bluegill. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Ottarnic Pond where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 71°F and January near 22°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid usually goes in late March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near late December: that is the shape of an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Anyone fishing Ottarnic Pond regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is a launch about half a mile from the bank. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Melendys Pond at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Ottarnic Pond is worth confirming on the day.