Allen Pond Fishing near Hannawa Falls, New York

• Overview

  Allen Pond sits in St. Lawrence County, out in New York. The surface lies 1,198 feet up. Surface area runs to about 15 acres — small enough to read in one session. For supplies, Hannawa Falls is 19 miles out. Further out sit Canton (19 miles) and Potsdam (23 miles). Within easy reach: Parmeter Pond after 0.9 miles, Mile Pond just 1.2 miles, Tracy Pond after 3 miles, Slouch Pond just 3 miles and Orebed Ponds after 3.2 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Allen Pond

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for St. Lawrence County cover rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and white sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Allen Pond for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 66°F and January reads 14°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about early December in a typical year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Allen Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Parmeter Pond sits 0.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat Allen Pond as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.