Fishing at DeRuyter Reservoir, Madison County, New York

• Overview

  DeRuyter Reservoir lies in Madison County, New York. Around the bank it is mixed forest. At some 555 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The perimeter runs near 5.3 miles, so plan the walk before you start. Few waters listed in Madison County are bigger. The nearest place of any size is Cazenovia, 8.3 miles away. Syracuse is the closest city, 21 miles away. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on DeRuyter Reservoir

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Public occurrence data for Madison County names brown trout, white sucker and bluegill. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On DeRuyter Reservoir the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 67°F, with January the cold end at about 20°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Once it clears, about early April, the fishing comes on quickly. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near mid December: that is the shape of an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on DeRuyter Reservoir follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Carpenter Pond sits 5.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the current arrangement for DeRuyter Reservoir.