Whitton Pond, New Hampshire: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Carroll County, Whitton Pond is a New Hampshire water. Everything around it is mixed forest. Roughly 164 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 3.2 miles of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. Start from Madison, 3.8 miles down the road. Manchester is the closest city, 66 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Whitton Pond

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Carroll County records list rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, rainbow smelt and Atlantic salmon among the fish reported. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Treat Whitton Pond as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 67°F and January near 18°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. On Whitton Pond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There is a pier recorded roughly half a mile away. The water borders Whitton Pond Preserve, so reserve rules are likely to apply. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Iona Lake is 1 mile off. Nothing here settles the position at Whitton Pond for certain.