Dunham Reservoir in Rensselaer County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Dunham Reservoir sits within Rensselaer County in New York. Land around it is pine and birch. Surface area is around 99 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Few waters listed in Rensselaer County are bigger. Nearest town is Cropseyville, 4 miles off. Poestenkill is 6.2 miles and Averill Park 9.1 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Dunham Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Public occurrence data for Rensselaer County names brown trout, common carp, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel and yellow bullhead. The county list is broader than any single water. At Dunham Reservoir the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 68°F and January at 19°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. The water is typically free of ice between early April and mid December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Time your trip to Dunham Reservoir by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. A made slipway is half a mile from here, which settles the boat question. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Gravel Pond sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. For Dunham Reservoir in particular, ask before you travel.