Fishing Hartwell Pond in Orleans County, Vermont

• Overview

  Hartwell Pond sits in Orleans County, out in Vermont. The bank is 1,624 feet above sea level. It covers about 17 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Some 14 miles away sits Hardwick, the nearest settlement. Sherbrooke is the closest city, 52 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Hartwell Pond

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Orleans County, recorded fish include white sucker, pumpkinseed and brook trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Hartwell Pond repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 65°F, while January sits near 13°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly early December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Anyone fishing Hartwell Pond regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Sweeney Pond is 1 mile off. For Hartwell Pond in particular, ask before you travel.