Belmont Lake Fishing Guide, Suffolk County, New York

• Overview

  Belmont Lake is set in Suffolk County, New York. Salt water lies 3.8 miles off. Ground here is low by New York standards. You are 1.3 miles from West Babylon. For a city, Stamford is 24 miles off. Also on the doorstep: Elda Lake (1 mile), 1.3 miles out stands Wyandanch Spring Lake, Guggenheim Lakes (1.8 miles), 1.8 miles out stands Southards Pond and Argyle Lake (2.7 miles). The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Belmont Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Time trips to the tide table rather than the clock here. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Suffolk County: alewife, blueback herring and pumpkinseed. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Read Belmont Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 75°F and January near 31°F. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Belmont Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. A car park sits roughly half a mile away. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Elda Lake at 1 mile is the nearest alternative. The position on Belmont Lake is worth confirming on the day.