Long Pond Fishing in Franklin County, New York

• Overview

  Long Pond belongs to Franklin County, New York. The surroundings are lake country bush. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Saranac Lake lies 11 miles from the water. Ville-Marie is the closest city, 81 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it. The shoreline gives more room than the map suggests.

• Where to Fish on Long Pond

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Reported across Franklin County: brook trout, white sucker, brown trout, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Long Pond gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 65°F and January about 13°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Long Pond fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There are toilets half a mile off. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Black Pond, 0.6 miles out. Rules at Long Pond are worth checking on the day.