Cleveland Lake Fishing Guide, Lewis County, New York

• Overview

  Cleveland Lake sits within Lewis County in New York. The surroundings are mixed forest. Surface area runs to about 10 acres — small enough to read in one session. Supplies mean a trip to Lowville, 11 miles off. Beyond it, Carthage at 21 miles and West Carthage at 21 miles. Alternatives close at hand: Payne Lake 0.5 miles away, Hopsicker Pond (0.5 miles), Evies Pond 1.4 miles away, Long Lake (1.4 miles) and Huckleberry Lake 1.5 miles away. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Cleveland Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Lewis County include white sucker, brown trout and pumpkinseed. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Cleveland Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 16°F in January to roughly 66°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly early December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Expect Cleveland Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Payne Lake sits 0.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Cleveland Lake for certain.