Fishing at Fourth Lake, Ulster County, New York

• Overview

  Set in Ulster County, Fourth Lake is a New York water. Height above sea level is 203 feet. Roughly 74 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The whole outline is near 1.1 miles, and most of it is walkable. On our Ulster County list it sits near the top for size. The nearest town is Rosendale Village, 1.7 miles away. Marbletown follows at 1.9 miles, then Tillson at 3.2 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Fourth Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Species logged across Ulster County include common carp, brown trout, brook trout, goldfish and rainbow trout. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Fourth Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 72°F; by January the average is down near 25°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late March. The season between ice runs from about late March to late December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. At Fourth Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. Walter Williams Preserve covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Fifth Lake is 0.8 miles distant. Rules at Fourth Lake are worth checking on the day.