"These trout ponds are often the best waters in a given area for a variety of reasons," said New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Fisheries Biologist Don Miller. "Excellent habitat, low species competition and the fact that these ponds are closed to ice-fishing allow these waters to be managed for the trout fishing enthusiast."

Ponds managed for trout may be stocked with one or more species, including brook, rainbow and/or brown trout, with age classes ranging from yearlings (8-12 inches), 2-year olds (12-15 inches), and 3+ year olds (measured in pounds!).

"Trout are prized by anglers because they can be a challenge to catch, and fishing for them is one of the traditional rites of spring," Miller said. "Whether your passion is a multi-colored brook trout, a leaping rainbow or the determined fight of a brown, there's a New Hampshire trout pond within reasonable driving distance for you."

Due to the severity of our winter, anglers may find their favorite north-country ponds still covered with ice. High-elevation remote ponds from the central White Mountain region north are likely to be partially ice-covered this year. Fortunately, anglers can find open water along the shorelines to allow some limited fishing until the ice clears in a few days. The good news is that with a heavy snowpack, ponds will be "recharged" and tributary streams will flow a little bit longer through the spring this year.

Hot Hole Pond and Clough Pond in Loudon, French Pond in Henniker, Mount William Pond in Weare, Dublin Lake in Dublin, and Barbadoes Pond in Madbury are a few of the generously stocked early season hotspots where opening day trout are taken. It gets no better than this for taking the youngsters along with a simple garden hackle under a bobber, or floating PowerBait fished just off the bottom.

There are many popular ponds located from the Lakes Region north to Pittsburg. They include Echo Lake in Franconia, Russell Pond in Woodstock, Conner Pond and Duncan Lake in Ossipee, White Lake in Tamworth, Perch Pond in Campton, Saltmarsh Pond in Gilford, Spectacle Pond in Groton, Back Lake in Pittsburg, and Little Diamond Pond in Stewartstown.

Anglers looking for a true wilderness experience will enjoy visiting one of the nearly 50 remote trout ponds that Fish and Game annually stocks with fingerling brook trout via helicopter. These are listed at http://www.fishnh.com/Fishing/trout_remote.htm. Flat Mountain Pond in Sandwich, Cole Pond in Enfield (fly fishing only), Butterfield Pond in Wilmot, Peaked Hill Pond in Thornton, Black Pond and Lonesome Lake in Lincoln are just a sampling of these delightful ponds, where fingerling brook trout often grow to 8-10 inches by their second growing season, and it's not unusual to pull in brookies 15 inches or longer. Trophy, remote-pond brook trout(three or more years old, some in excess of 17-18 inches) can be caught in these backcountry waters.

Archery Pond in Allenstown (with a wheelchair-accessible casting platform) and Stonehouse Pond in Barrington are two popular fly-fishing-only ponds that will be ice-free and well stocked for the opener. If you travel over to Antrim and fish Willard Pond, you will be treated to forested, undeveloped shorelines and the "triple treat" of fly-fishing: brook, rainbow and tiger trout.

Further north, some excellent fly-fishing-only ponds include Upper Hall Pond in Sandwich, Sky Pond in New Hampton and Profile Lake in Franconia (check the Freshwater Fishing Digest for special regulations) on these waters. In addition, White Pond in Ossipee and Coon Brook Bog in Pittsburg offer excellent opportunities to "match the hatch" throughout spring and early summer.

For a list of trout ponds and fly-fishing-only ponds in New Hampshire, as well as a description of special rules that apply to certain ponds, consult the 2014 New Hampshire Freshwater Fishing Digest, available online at http://www.fishnh.com/pubs/fishing.html or from any Fish and Game license agent when you buy your license.

News Source: New Hampshire F&G - Apr. 16, 2014