South Long Pond Fishing Guide, Rensselaer County, New York

• Overview

  South Long Pond lies in Rensselaer County, New York. The surface lies 1,624 feet up. Roughly 38 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Start from Cropseyville, 6.8 miles down the road. Poestenkill lies 7.7 miles off, Averill Park another 9.5 miles. Also on the doorstep: 0.6 miles out stands Taconic Pond, Dyken Pond at 0.7 miles, 0.8 miles out stands Cranberry Pond, Forest Lake at 1.8 miles and 2.5 miles out stands Lake Elizabeth. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on South Long Pond

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name brown trout, common carp, pumpkinseed and chain pickerel. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On South Long Pond the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 67°F in July and bottom out at 19°F in January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at mid December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on South Long Pond follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Parking sits 0.9 miles out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Taconic Pond is 0.6 miles off. Nothing on South Long Pond should be assumed from this page alone.