Eldridge Lake, New York: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Eldridge Lake is one of the Chemung County listings for New York. The bank is 860 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 13 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Elmira Heights is the closest place, 1.1 miles off. Elmira follows at 1.7 miles, then West Elmira at 2.9 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Eldridge Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name common carp, green sunfish, smallmouth bass, white sucker and rock bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Treat Eldridge Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 70°F; by January the average is down near 23°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late March. Break-up near late March, freeze-up near late December: that is the shape of an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Eldridge Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public data has parking about 170 yards from the shore. A pier 90 yards from here gives a platform over deeper water. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Weyer Pond at 0.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Eldridge Lake for certain.