Spruce Pond in St. Lawrence County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in St. Lawrence County, New York, this is Spruce Pond. The ground around here is pine and birch. The water measures roughly 5 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our St. Lawrence County list. Nearest place of any size is Tupper Lake, 22 miles away. The nearest city of size is Kingston, 79 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Spruce Pond

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Spruce Pond before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 65°F and January near 13°F on the long-run figures. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Spruce Pond fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Tooley Pond is 2.4 miles distant. Rules at Spruce Pond are worth checking on the day.