Ox Pond, New Hampshire: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. The setting is lake country bush on every side. At 18 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The closest town, Contoocook, is 2.2 miles away. Hopkinton is 4.7 miles and Webster 5.2 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ox Pond

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Merrimack County include rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, brown trout and rainbow smelt. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Ox Pond gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 20°F in January to roughly 69°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about mid December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Expect Ox Pond to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Tom Pond is 2.1 miles off. Confirm access to Ox Pond locally before you travel.