Forest Lake Fishing in Rensselaer County, New York

• Overview

  Set in Rensselaer County, Forest Lake is a New York water. The land about it is lake country bush. About 19 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. The town to know is Cropseyville, 5 miles out. Poestenkill is 6 miles away, with Averill Park at 8.3 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off. Most people fish the same few areas, which leaves the rest quiet.

• Where to Fish on Forest Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Rensselaer County records list brown trout, common carp and pumpkinseed among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Forest Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 67°F on average, January about 19°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. That shapes the year on Forest Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. The car has to stay half a mile away, which shapes how much tackle you bring. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Gravel Pond, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Forest Lake.