Fishing at Longs Pond, Richmond County, North Carolina

• Overview

  This water sits in Richmond County, North Carolina. The country round it is oak and grass from end to end. At 2 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 Richmond County list. Nearest town is East Rockingham, 3.4 miles off. After that come Hamlet at 3.7 miles and Rockingham at 3.7 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Longs Pond

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Richmond County include pinewoods darter, dollar sunfish, margined madtom and sawcheek darter. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. On Longs Pond the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 80°F and January near 41°F. Fish stay active all year, but they move with the heat. Late winter and spring fish steadiest here. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Anyone fishing Longs Pond regularly works to that calendar. The hour either side of first light is rarely wasted.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Robbins Pond at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Longs Pond.