Fishing at Clear Pond, Essex County, New York

• Overview

  Clear Pond sits within Essex County in New York. It stands 1,906 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 174 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Roughly 2.1 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. On our Essex County list it sits near the top for size. The closest town, Mineville, is 17 miles distant. North Elba is 18 miles away, with Port Henry at 18 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Clear Pond

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Essex County names brown trout, brook trout and white sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Clear Pond a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 65°F, the coldest about 15°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It holds true on Clear Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Little Marsh Pond sits 2.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Clear Pond for certain.