Elfin Lake in Rutland County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Elfin Lake lies in Rutland County, Vermont. Height above sea level is 587 feet. At 20 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Clarendon lies 3.4 miles from the water. The big place round here is Albany, 68 miles distant. Within easy reach: Spring Lake a shade over 4 miles, Chipman Lake just 4.7 miles, Little Rock Pond a shade over 5 miles, Wallingford Pond just 5.5 miles and Fifield Pond a shade over 6.7 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Elfin Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Public occurrence data for Rutland County names bluegill, brook trout and brown trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Anyone new to Elfin Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 18°F in January and 67°F in July. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near early December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Elfin Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Spring Lake at 4 miles is the sensible second choice. The position on Elfin Lake is worth confirming on the day.