Cranberry Pond, New York: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  New York holds Cranberry Pond, in Herkimer County. The surface lies 1,929 feet up. It covers about 21 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Compared with other New York water on our list, it sits high. For a base, Lowville sits 26 miles out. It is 79 miles to Kingston, the nearest city. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Cranberry Pond

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Herkimer County cover white sucker, yellow perch and brook trout. The county list is broader than any single water. The shape of Cranberry Pond rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 64°F and January about 13°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Climate averages put the opening at about late April and the closing near early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It holds true on Cranberry Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Woods Lake is 1.2 miles distant. The position on Cranberry Pond is worth confirming on the day.