Round Pond Fishing near Tupper Lake, New York

• Overview

  Round Pond lies in Essex County, New York. The land about it is rolling bush. Surface area is around 227 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 2.9 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Few waters listed in Essex County are bigger. Some 14 miles away sits Tupper Lake, the nearest settlement. It is 101 miles to Albany, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Round Pond

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name brown trout, brook trout, white sucker and pumpkinseed. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Round Pond gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 14°F in January up to 64°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It holds true on Round Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Corner Pond sits 1.9 miles off and takes the overflow. The position on Round Pond is worth confirming on the day.