Lake Morey in Orange County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Orange County entry here is Lake Morey, in Vermont. Height above sea level is 420 feet. At 550 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. Shoreline length is close to 4.6 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. Of the waters listed here in Orange County, this is the largest. Orford lies 1.3 miles from the water. After that come Lyme at 7.8 miles and Haverhill at 8.8 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Lake Morey

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Orange County, recorded fish include brook trout, rainbow trout and white sucker. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Fish Lake Morey to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 68°F for July and 16°F for January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near early December in autumn. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing Lake Morey regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Lake Morey Fishing Access Area provides a boat ramp about half a mile away. Morey Mountain Conservation Area Trailhead Parking gives parking half a mile away. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Middle Brook Pond at 4.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Lake Morey are worth checking on the day.