Mile Pond, Vermont: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Essex County, Vermont, this is Mile Pond. Around the bank it is rolling bush. This is a pocket water of some 22 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Nearest town is Stratford, 15 miles off. Colebrook lies 17 miles off, Groveton another 19 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Mile Pond

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Essex County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, white sucker and largemouth bass. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Mile Pond the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 13°F to 65°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Mile Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Nulhegan Pond at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Mile Pond before loading the car.