Russell Reservoir Fishing in Cheshire County, New Hampshire

• Overview

  Russell Reservoir stands in Cheshire County, New Hampshire. It sits at 1,184 feet above sea level. At about 26 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Harrisville sits 2.5 miles from the bank. The big place round here is Manchester, 35 miles distant. Within easy reach: Chesham Pond out at 0.8 miles, Wight Pond 1.1 miles away, Silver Lake out at 2.1 miles, Childs Bog 2.2 miles away and Spectacle Pond out at 2.5 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Russell Reservoir

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Across Cheshire County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Russell Reservoir a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 67°F and January reads 19°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. That is the shape of the year on Russell Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. Part of this sits inside or beside Gertrude Russell Forest, so read the notices. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Chesham Pond, 0.8 miles out. Confirm access to Russell Reservoir locally before you travel.