Mud Pond Fishing near Ticonderoga, Vermont

• Overview

  Out in Rutland County, Vermont, sits Mud Pond. The bank gives way to rolling bush. Surface area runs to about 9 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Rutland County are larger. Some 8.6 miles away sits Ticonderoga, the nearest settlement. Albany sits 78 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Mud Pond

  We hold no depth figure for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Rutland County: bluegill, brook trout and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Mud Pond the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 70°F in July and bottoms out near 19°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at mid December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. It sets the rhythm of the year at Mud Pond.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Bullhead Pond, 0.6 miles out. Signs at Mud Pond carry more weight than any list.