Fishing at Tom Peck Pond, Essex County, New York

• Overview

  Tom Peck Pond is set in Essex County, New York. It lies 1,713 feet above sea level. It covers about 9 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The closest town, Lake Placid, is 2.9 miles distant. Ville-Marie sits 85 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Tom Peck Pond

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Essex County include brown trout, brook trout, white sucker and pumpkinseed. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Read Tom Peck Pond for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 14°F in January to roughly 64°F in July. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. Break-up sits around mid April on average, with the water closing again about early December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. It holds true on Tom Peck Pond more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Connery Pond is 0.6 miles distant. The position on Tom Peck Pond is worth confirming on the day.