Fishing Black Pond in Franklin County, New York

• Overview

  Black Pond is one of the Franklin County waters in New York. The surface lies 1,598 feet up. At 25 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Tupper Lake is the closest place, 7.1 miles off. Saranac Lake lies 12 miles off, Lake Placid another 20 miles. Within a short run: Whey Pond after 0.5 miles, Copperas Pond some 0.6 miles off, Square Pond after 0.6 miles, Little Square Pond some 0.9 miles off and Echo Pond after 1.3 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Black Pond

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Franklin County cover brook trout, white sucker, brown trout and yellow perch. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Black Pond a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 14°F in January up to 65°F in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Black Pond fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Whey Pond at 0.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat Black Pond as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.