Rice Reservoir in Sullivan County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Sullivan County in New Hampshire is where Rice Reservoir sits. This is lake country bush ground. This is a pocket water of some 11 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Our Sullivan County list holds plenty of bigger water. 3.2 miles away sits Claremont, the nearest town. For a city, Manchester is 53 miles off. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Rice Reservoir

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Species logged across Sullivan County include rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, Arctic charr, largemouth bass and rainbow smelt. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Rice Reservoir the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 67°F on average, January about 18°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Climate figures give an open season running early April to early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. The season on Rice Reservoir rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Whitewater Reservoir is 0.9 miles distant. Treat access at Rice Reservoir as something to verify.