Fishing at Purity Lake, Carroll County, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Purity Lake is a Carroll County water, in New Hampshire. Elevation runs to 486 feet. Head to Madison, 3.9 miles away, for anything you forgot. Beyond it, Freedom at 4.4 miles and Conway at 8.1 miles. What else is close: Long Pond just 1.6 miles, Trout Pond a touch under 2.5 miles, Loud Pond just 2.7 miles, Danforth Ponds a touch under 2.9 miles and Durgin Pond just 2.9 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Purity Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Across Carroll County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass and rainbow smelt. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Treat Purity Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 68°F in July and bottoms out near 18°F in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. The season between ice runs from about early April to mid December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It sets the rhythm of the year at Purity Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. A pier or jetty stands half a mile away, which helps on a crowded bank. Hoyt Wildlife Sanctuary covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Long Pond sits 1.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Purity Lake.