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New Hampshire · Fishing
Deering, New Hampshire is a quiet hill town with three stillwater fishing spots worth knowing about: Mud Pond, Deering Reservoir, and Dudley Pond. None of them are crowded destination fisheries, which is exactly the point.
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Deering, New Hampshire is a quiet hill town with three stillwater fishing spots worth knowing about: Mud Pond, Deering Reservoir, and Dudley Pond. None of them are crowded destination fisheries, which is exactly the point. These are the kinds of places where you can launch a canoe or kayak at first light, work the edges without another angler in sight, and have a reasonable morning on the water without driving two hours north. Deering Reservoir is the largest of the three and the most commonly visited, while Mud Pond and Dudley Pond are smaller and tend to reward anglers who are willing to do a little more legwork to reach them. All three are lake and pond fisheries, so expect warm-water species typical of southern New Hampshire lakes alongside whatever cold-water habitat each body of water can support. If you're coming from out of town, Deering sits in Hillsborough County and is accessible from Route 149. Cell service is limited in parts of town, so download your maps and check NH Fish and Game regulations before you leave home rather than counting on a signal at the boat ramp.
All three are lake and pond fisheries typical of southern New Hampshire, where largemouth bass, yellow perch, and chain pickerel are common. Deering Reservoir may also hold smallmouth bass and white perch depending on depth and structure. Check the NH Fish and Game stocking database before your trip to see if any of these waters received recent trout stockings, which does happen on some Hillsborough County ponds in spring.
Yes. Anyone 16 or older needs a valid New Hampshire freshwater fishing license to fish any of these waters. Licenses are available through the NH Fish and Game website or at local license agents. Non-residents pay a higher fee, and there are short-term options if you're only visiting for a day or weekend.
Elm Brook Park Rec Area
~15 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Mud Pond
~2 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Contoocook River - Hopkinton
~21 min drive
Easy
Dudley Pond
~3 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Horace Lake
~4 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Deering Reservoir
~5 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Craney Pond
~6 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Morrill Pond
~7 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Morrill Pond
~7 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Craney Pond
~7 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Craney Pond
~7 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Pleasant Pond
~7 min drive
A worthwhile stop near NH.
Early morning and the last two hours before dark are consistently the most productive windows for bass and pickerel in warm-water ponds like these. Midday in summer tends to push fish deeper or into shaded structure, so if you're fishing between June and August, plan to be on the water by 6 a.m. or wait until late afternoon.
Deering Reservoir has a public boat access point, but it is best suited for car-top boats, canoes, and kayaks rather than large trailered vessels. Access to Mud Pond and Dudley Pond is more limited, so scout parking and launch conditions on NH Fish and Game's public access maps before you go. A small inflatable or packable kayak is a practical choice for the smaller ponds.
A medium-light spinning rod in the 6- to 7-foot range handles most situations across all three waters. For bass and pickerel, soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and weedless rigs work well around lily pads and submerged structure. If you're targeting perch, a simple bobber and live bait or small jig is hard to beat. Bring polarized sunglasses to read the water, especially on smaller ponds where sight-fishing can be productive in clear conditions.
