Fishing First Reservoir in Rockland County, New York

• Overview

  First Reservoir is one of the Rockland County listings for New York. The sea is 4.6 miles distant. At 5 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. You are 2.2 miles from Thiells. Yonkers is the closest city, 21 miles away. Nearby alternatives: Second Reservoir at 0.9 miles, 0.9 miles out stands Cheesecote Pond, Lake Welch at 1.4 miles, 1.5 miles out stands Third Reservoir and Upper Pound Swamp at 1.6 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on First Reservoir

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. County-wide records name common carp, striped bass, bluegill, largemouth bass and pumpkinseed. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Work First Reservoir in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 72°F and January at 27°F. The year gives four workable seasons without severe ends. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. Anyone fishing First Reservoir regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Part of this sits inside or beside Cheesecote Mountain Park, so read the notices. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Second Reservoir at 0.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at First Reservoir before loading the car.