Fishing at Purgatory Pond, Merrimack County, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Look for Purgatory Pond in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. Salt water lies 38 miles off. This is a pocket water of some 19 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The bank runs about 0.9 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Nearest place of any size is Bow Bog, 3.9 miles away. It is 6.2 miles to Manchester, the nearest city. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Purgatory Pond

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Merrimack County: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and brown trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Purgatory Pond gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 69°F, the coldest about 21°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly mid December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Anyone fishing Purgatory Pond regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The water borders Pearle W. And Robert H. Preston Preserve, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Kimball Pond at 2.5 miles is the sensible second choice. For Purgatory Pond, the notice at the access point is the final word.