Fishing at Charleston Pond, Orleans County, Vermont

• Overview

  This water sits in Orleans County, Vermont. Height above sea level is 1,060 feet. With some 44 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The whole outline is near 1.2 miles, and most of it is walkable. Newport lies 8 miles from the water. Stanstead lies 8.7 miles off, Ayer's Cliff another 19 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Charleston Pond

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Orleans County records list white sucker, pumpkinseed and brook trout among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Charleston Pond should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 65°F on average, January about 13°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It sets the rhythm of the year at Charleston Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Pensioner Pond at 1.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Charleston Pond before loading the car.