Burnt Pond in Lewis County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In New York, Burnt Pond belongs to Lewis County. Elevation runs to 928 feet. The water measures roughly 2 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Most waters listed here for Lewis County are larger. Start from Carthage, 12 miles down the road. It is 53 miles to Kingston, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Burnt Pond

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Lewis County cover white sucker, brown trout and pumpkinseed. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Burnt Pond gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 67°F; the cold one sits at 16°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Burnt Pond the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Fitzgerald Pond, 1.4 miles away. Where Burnt Pond is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.