Fishing Clear Pond in Herkimer County, New York

• Overview

  Herkimer County, New York, is where Clear Pond sits. Land around it is mixed forest. Surface area runs to about 16 acres — small enough to read in one session. Nearest place of any size is Lowville, 27 miles away. Boonville lies 27 miles off, Carthage another 36 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Clear Pond

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Herkimer County include white sucker, yellow perch and brook trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Clear Pond the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 64°F for July and 13°F for January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Clear Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Failing this one, try Independence Lake, 1.1 miles away. Check the position on Clear Pond before loading the car.