Fishing Cliff Pond in Herkimer County, New York

• Overview

  Cliff Pond is set in Herkimer County, New York. The bank is 2,047 feet above sea level. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is a small entry by Herkimer County standards. 27 miles away sits Boonville, the nearest town. Lowville lies 33 miles off, Dolgeville another 39 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Cliff Pond

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Herkimer County include white sucker, yellow perch, brook trout, brown bullhead and brown trout. The county list is broader than any single water. Cliff Pond gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 13°F in January and 64°F in July. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Cliff Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. 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. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Pico Lake is 0.2 miles distant. Ask locally about Cliff Pond if anything is unclear.