Flemings Pond in Essex County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Out in Essex County, New York, sits Flemings Pond. The surface lies 1,004 feet up. It runs to roughly 67 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge runs 1.1 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Few waters listed in Essex County are bigger. Crown Point is the closest place, 10 miles off. For a city, Albany is 86 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Flemings Pond

  We hold no depth figure for this one. 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. Species logged across Essex County include brown trout, brook trout, white sucker, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Flemings Pond gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 67°F and January reads 17°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. In an average year the thaw lands around mid April and the freeze near early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Flemings Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Arnold Pond, 1.5 miles out. Confirm before you fish Flemings Pond.