Bear Pond, New York: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Herkimer County, New York, this is Bear Pond. The bank is 2,051 feet above sea level. With some 79 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The edge runs 2.2 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Size puts it in the front rank of our Herkimer County list. For a base, Lowville sits 27 miles out. Kingston sits 76 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bear Pond

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Herkimer County include white sucker, yellow perch and brook trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Bear Pond should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 13°F to 64°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Winter locks it down, and late April brings it back. The water is typically free of ice between late April and early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Bear Pond follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Diana Pond is 0.4 miles distant. Confirm before you fish Bear Pond.