Cotters Pond Fishing Guide, Essex County, New York

• Overview

  Cotters Pond lies in Essex County, in New York. The bank is 1,053 feet above sea level. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The nearest town is Ticonderoga, 12 miles away. After that come Crown Point at 12 miles and Port Henry at 16 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Cotters Pond

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Essex County include brown trout, brook trout, white sucker and pumpkinseed. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Anyone new to Cotters Pond should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 67°F on average, January about 17°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Cotters Pond fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Bumbo Pond at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Cotters Pond are worth checking on the day.