Dodge Pond in St. Lawrence County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Dodge Pond in the St. Lawrence County part of New York. Land around it is mixed forest. This is a pocket water of some 14 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Some 18 miles away sits Gouverneur, the nearest settlement. Kingston is the closest city, 68 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Dodge Pond

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across St. Lawrence County: rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Dodge Pond responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 67°F at the top of summer and 15°F at the bottom of winter. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Ice usually gives way near mid April, and forms again about early December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Dodge Pond around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Should this one be busy, Mud Pond is 1 mile off. For Dodge Pond in particular, ask before you travel.