The Bay, New Hampshire: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Bay sits in Merrimack County, out in New Hampshire. The land about it is pine and birch. With some 69 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. For a base, Andover sits 2.9 miles out. Salisbury is 3.8 miles and Webster 6.5 miles. Round about: Horseshoe Pond at 1.8 miles, Bradley Lake within 2.5 miles, Adder Pond at 2.8 miles, Elbow Pond within 2.9 miles and Highland Lake at 3.2 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on The Bay

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Merrimack County list rainbow trout, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At The Bay the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 19°F to 68°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan any trip to The Bay around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Porkepyn Rylle covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Horseshoe Pond is 1.8 miles off. What applies at The Bay may have changed since it was mapped.