Fishing at Mitchell Pond, Sullivan County, New York

• Overview

  Sullivan County, New York, is where Mitchell Pond sits. It sits at 1,053 feet above sea level. At about 30 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline comes to about 1.1 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Some 15 miles away sits Liberty, the nearest settlement. It is 70 miles to Paterson, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Mitchell Pond

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Sullivan County include brown trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass, white sucker and rainbow trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Mitchell Pond light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 22°F in January and 69°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. On average, early April opens the water and mid December closes it again. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Mitchell Pond fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Barnhardt Pond at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Mitchell Pond may have changed since it was mapped.