Scott Pond Fishing near Tupper Lake, New York

• Overview

  This water sits in Hamilton County, New York. The bank is 1,906 feet above sea level. Small at around 23 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Nearest place of any size is Tupper Lake, 17 miles away. The big place round here is Kingston, 86 miles distant. Close by you also have: John Pond after 0.3 miles, Colvin Pond at 0.6 miles, Graves Pond after 0.7 miles, Little Fish Pond at 0.7 miles and Darning Needle Pond after 1 mile. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Scott Pond

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Hamilton County include lake trout, brook trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and brown bullhead. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Work Scott Pond in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 65°F, while January sits near 13°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about early December in an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. It sets the rhythm of the year at Scott Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. John Pond, 0.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Scott Pond are worth checking on the day.