Clear Pond Fishing near Saranac Lake, New York

• Overview

  Clear Pond stands in Franklin County, New York. The setting is lake country bush. The water covers some 104 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The closest town, Saranac Lake, is 11 miles distant. Lake Placid follows at 17 miles, then North Elba at 20 miles. Also worth knowing: Loon Lake at 0.4 miles, 0.4 miles away is Rainbow Lake, Inlet at 0.8 miles, 1.4 miles away is Square Pond and Oregon Pond at 2.3 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Clear Pond

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Franklin County, recorded fish include brook trout, white sucker, brown trout, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Clear Pond gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 13°F in January up to 65°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and early December closes it again. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on Clear Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. There is a pier recorded roughly half a mile away. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Loon Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Clear Pond is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.