Little Clear Pond near Saranac Lake: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Franklin County in New York is where Little Clear Pond sits. Around the bank it is lake country bush. This is sizeable water at about 355 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. The edge covers about 4.6 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. It ranks high for size among our Franklin County listings. Nearest place of any size is Saranac Lake, 8.1 miles away. After that come Tupper Lake at 13 miles and Lake Placid at 16 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Little Clear Pond

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Franklin County names brook trout, white sucker, brown trout, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Little Clear Pond rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 65°F on average, January about 13°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near early December in autumn. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan any trip to Little Clear Pond around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Grass Pond, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Little Clear Pond, the notice at the access point is the final word.