Bear Lake, New York: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Out in St. Lawrence County, New York, sits Bear Lake. Land around it is lake country bush. At about 27 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Gouverneur sits 19 miles from here and is the nearest stop. For a city, Kingston is 66 miles off. Within a short drive: Dry Timber Lake at about 0.9 miles, Rock Lake within 1.2 miles, Twin Ponds at about 1.7 miles, Mud Pond within 1.8 miles and Long Lake at about 2.1 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for St. Lawrence County include rock bass, smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and white sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Bear Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 14°F in January to roughly 65°F in July. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about early December in an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Bear Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Dry Timber Lake, 0.9 miles out. For Bear Lake in particular, ask before you travel.