Fishing at Crescent Lake, Sullivan County, New York

• Overview

  Look for Crescent Lake in the Sullivan County part of New York. The land about it is mixed forest. Monticello lies 5.2 miles from the water. After that come Rock Hill at 8.4 miles and South Fallsburg at 9.8 miles. More in the same country: Birchwood Pond 0.7 miles away, Ruddick Pond lies 1.1 miles on, Lees Pond 1.2 miles away, Swinging Bridge Reservoir lies 1.6 miles on and Twin Ponds 1.7 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Crescent Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Sullivan County, recorded fish include brown trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass, white sucker and rainbow trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. The shape of Crescent Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 69°F and January near 22°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The open-water window runs from around early April to about mid December in an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Crescent Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. 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. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Birchwood Pond sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. For Crescent Lake in particular, ask before you travel.