Echo Lake in Sullivan County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Echo Lake lies in Sullivan County, in New York. It lies 1,329 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 51 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. A shoreline of some 1.1 miles keeps the choices simple. Supplies mean a trip to Sparrow Bush, 7.5 miles off. It is 50 miles to Paterson, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Echo Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Sullivan County include brown trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass, white sucker and rainbow trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Echo Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 68°F in July and bottoms out near 22°F in January. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Look for the thaw near early April; the fishing lifts straight after. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near mid December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Echo Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. For a change of water, Hemlock Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Treat access at Echo Lake as something to verify.