Spectacle Pond Fishing near Ticonderoga, New York

• Overview

  The Essex County entry here is Spectacle Pond, in New York. The bank gives way to pine and birch. The water covers some 25 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge runs 1.2 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Supplies mean a trip to Ticonderoga, 14 miles off. Then Crown Point, 16 miles, and Port Henry, 20 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Spectacle Pond

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Essex County records list brown trout, brook trout and white sucker among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Spectacle Pond the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 67°F and January reads 17°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Spectacle Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Coffee Pond, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Spectacle Pond as something to verify.