Barnum Pond Fishing in Franklin County, New York

• Overview

  Barnum Pond is a Franklin County water, New York side. The bank is 1,644 feet above sea level. The water covers some 93 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Shoreline comes to about 1.9 miles, small enough to learn in a day. The closest town, Saranac Lake, is 11 miles distant. After that come Lake Placid at 19 miles and Tupper Lake at 19 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Barnum Pond

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Open biodiversity records for Franklin County list brook trout, white sucker, brown trout, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Barnum Pond before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in July and bottoms out near 13°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Barnum Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Osgood Pond sits 1.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Barnum Pond before loading the car.