Benton Pond Fishing Guide, Lewis County, New York

• Overview

  Look for Benton Pond in Lewis County, New York. It sits at 807 feet above sea level. Head to Gouverneur, 12 miles away, for anything you forgot. Kingston sits 53 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Round about: Snake Pond a touch under 0.4 miles, Lake Bonaparte 1.2 miles off, Mud Lake a touch under 1.2 miles, Marsh Pond 1.2 miles off and Mud Pond a touch under 1.4 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Benton Pond

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Lewis County include white sucker, brown trout and pumpkinseed. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Take Benton Pond a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 16°F to 67°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Benton Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. The water borders Sand Bay State Forest, so reserve rules are likely to apply. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Failing this one, try Snake Pond, 0.4 miles away. None of that is settled for Benton Pond in what we hold.