Bear Lake Fishing Guide, Hamilton County, New York

• Overview

  Bear Lake lies within the bounds of Hamilton County, New York. The bank gives way to rolling bush. It covers about 15 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. By elevation it is in the upper part of our New York listings. Nearest place of any size is Dolgeville, 26 miles away. Little Falls follows at 31 miles, then Boonville at 32 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Reported across Hamilton County: lake trout, brook trout and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The near bank of Bear Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 13°F in January and 63°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. From about late April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Bear Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Little Rock Lake sits 0.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Bear Lake before loading the car.