Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at Contention Pond
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing Contention Pond: what the data says
112-acre pond near Hillsborough. NH GRANIT / NH Fish & Game survey water. The lake tops out around 30 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Largemouth Bass fishing at Contention Pond
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 20 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring largemouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 8 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Yellow Perch fishing at Contention Pond
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring yellow perch. Best bite is early morning. Tie on a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Chain Pickerel fishing at Contention Pond
Spring chain pickerel on Contention Pond hold shallow, usually 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 3 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 18 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring chain pickerel. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A weedless spoon + trailer or a buzzbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon (red/white) |
| Summer | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 4 to 15 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 5 to 18 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Bluegill fishing at Contention Pond
In spring, bluegill run shallow here, mostly 1 to 6 ft. They move out to 4 to 15 ft in summer and finish the year down in 10 to 25 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 6 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a small sponge spider (fly) or a micro tube jig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 6 ft | midday & dusk | 1/32 oz jig + micro plastic, Tiny popper (evenings) |
| Summer | 4 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 6 to 18 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 10 to 25 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Contention Pond
Spring smallmouth bass on Contention Pond hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 9 to 30 ft. Main-lake point is the standout, a point at roughly 3 ft, rated prime for spring smallmouth bass. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 8 to 25 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
White Perch fishing at Contention Pond
Start shallow in spring: white perch sit in 4 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 9 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 9 to 30 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 30 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 9 to 30 ft | dawn | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 9 to 30 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 9 to 30 ft | dusk | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
Contention Pond also holds brook trout (10 to 30 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 30 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 4 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 4 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Contention Pond?
Contention Pond is about 30 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Contention Pond?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, brook trout, chain pickerel, white perch on Contention Pond.
Where is the best fishing spot on Contention Pond?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Contention Pond?
For largemouth bass, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
SMITH POND (SULLIVAN) · Jackman Reservoir · Bagley Pond · Black Pond · Gould Pond · White Pond (Windsor)
See how Contention Pond stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in New Hampshire · best smallmouth bass lakes in New Hampshire · best bluegill lakes in New Hampshire · best yellow perch lakes in New Hampshire
Browse all New Hampshire fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.