Sign inSign up freeRecent catches at DOWNING POND
Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.
Fishing DOWNING POND: what the data says
31-acre pond near NEW DURHAM. The lake tops out around 10 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. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
Yellow Perch fishing at DOWNING POND
In spring, yellow perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a weed flat at roughly 3 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 10 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Chain Pickerel fishing at DOWNING POND
Start shallow in spring: chain pickerel sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 2 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in 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 | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Weedless spoon + trailer, Buzzbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait along weed edges, Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon (through ice) |
Largemouth Bass fishing at DOWNING POND
Start shallow in spring: largemouth bass sit in 2 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Bluegill fishing at DOWNING POND
Start shallow in spring: bluegill sit in 1 to 6 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish settle into 3 to 10 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for bluegill 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 | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Small sponge spider (fly), Micro tube jig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Micro jig + waxworm, Small spoon tipped |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Tungsten ice jig + plastic, Tiny spoon |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at DOWNING POND
Start shallow in spring: smallmouth bass sit in 3 to 10 ft that time of year. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Main-lake point: a point around 3 ft that scores prime in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
White Perch fishing at DOWNING POND
Spring white perch on DOWNING POND hold shallow, usually 3 to 10 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 3 to 10 ft. Deep basin is the standout, a deep basin at roughly 9 ft, rated prime for summer white perch. Best bite is early morning. Summer baits: a small spinner rig drifted or a 1/8 oz jigging spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Small jig + curly tail, Inline spinner (silver) |
| Summer | 3 to 10 ft | dawn | Small spinner rig drifted, 1/8 oz jigging spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 10 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Blade bait |
| Winter | 3 to 10 ft | dusk | Small rattle spoon, Tungsten + spikes |
DOWNING POND also holds brook trout (3 to 10 ft in summer), brown bullhead (3 to 10 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 9 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 6 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 3 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is DOWNING POND?
DOWNING POND is about 10 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 DOWNING POND?
Anglers target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, brook trout, chain pickerel, white perch, brown bullhead on DOWNING POND.
Where is the best fishing spot on DOWNING POND?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish DOWNING POND?
For yellow perch, the summer bite is best in early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Jones Dam Pond · CLUB POND · Marsh Pond · CHALK POND (STRAFFORD) · Merrymeeting Lake · Marchs Pond
See how DOWNING 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.