Black Lake Fishing Guide, Sullivan County, New York

• Overview

  Out in Sullivan County, New York, sits Black Lake. It sits at 1,260 feet above sea level. Around 206 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 2.3 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. It ranks high for size among our Sullivan County listings. Monticello sits 8.8 miles from here and is the nearest stop. After that come Liberty at 12 miles and South Fallsburg at 12 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Black Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Sullivan County: brown trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass, white sucker and rainbow trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Treat Black Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 68°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Black Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Little Black Lake at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Signs at Black Lake carry more weight than any list.