Fishing Rose Pond in Herkimer County, New York

• Overview

  Out in Herkimer County, New York, sits Rose Pond. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. At about 44 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. There is roughly 1.2 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. You are 28 miles from Tupper Lake. Then Lowville, 34 miles, and Carthage, 39 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Rose Pond

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Herkimer County cover white sucker, yellow perch, brook trout, brown bullhead and brown trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Rose Pond the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 64°F; the cold one sits at 13°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about early December in an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to Rose Pond by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Thayer Lake, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Rose Pond may have changed since it was mapped.