Turtle Pond in Merrimack County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Turtle Pond is a Merrimack County water, in New Hampshire. The country here is lake country bush. It runs to roughly 163 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Bank access stretches around 2.2 miles in total. On our Merrimack County list it sits near the top for size. Nearest place of any size is East Concord, 1.4 miles away. Beyond it, Concord at 3.5 miles and Chichester at 5.8 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Turtle Pond

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Records held for Merrimack County cover rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, brown trout and rainbow smelt. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Turtle Pond where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 69°F and January about 20°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early April. The season between ice runs from about early April to mid December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. At Turtle Pond the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is a ramp at Turtletown Pond Boat Launch, half a mile out. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Snow Pond is 1.4 miles off. For Turtle Pond in particular, ask before you travel.