Summit Pond near Dryden: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Tioga County in New York is where Summit Pond sits. Rolling bush runs right down to the water. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Tioga County list. The town to know is Dryden, 11 miles out. For a city, Syracuse is 49 miles off. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Summit Pond

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Tioga County list tessellated darter, white sucker, margined madtom and banded darter. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Summit Pond repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 68°F and January near 21°F on the long-run figures. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Summit Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Andersen Hill State Forest covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Rightmire Pond, 1.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Summit Pond as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.