Fishing at Rathbun Pond, Washington County, New York

• Overview

  Rathbun Pond lies in Washington County, New York. Height above sea level is 472 feet. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. Granville is the closest town at 1.1 miles. It is 59 miles to Albany, the nearest city. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply. The character changes with the season more than with the year.

• Where to Fish on Rathbun Pond

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Washington County list brown trout, white sucker, tessellated darter and pumpkinseed. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Treat Rathbun Pond as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 70°F; by January the average is down near 19°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Rathbun Pond runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. You will be walking about half a mile from the nearest car park. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Gillespie Pond is 2.7 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Rathbun Pond.