Fishing Dolans Lake in Greene County, New York

• Overview

  Dolans Lake belongs to Greene County, New York. It stands 1,614 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 4 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Palenville is the closest town at 9.8 miles. Woodstock lies 12 miles off, Cairo another 12 miles. Also on the doorstep: Leach Lake out at 2.8 miles, Onteora Pond 2.9 miles away, Notch Lake out at 3.1 miles, Grill Lake 4 miles away and Lake Rip Van Winkle out at 4 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Dolans Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Fish documented in Greene County include common carp, rudd, goldfish and brown trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Dolans Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 65°F and January at 19°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Expect Dolans Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is recorded parking some 150 yards off. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Leach Lake, 2.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Dolans Lake for certain.