Fishing Fox Lake in Sullivan County, New York

• Overview

  Out in Sullivan County, New York, sits Fox Lake. It lies 1,250 feet above sea level. The water covers some 32 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Barryville lies 8 miles from the water. The big place round here is Paterson, 62 miles distant. The line between counties passes nearby, which can change who manages the water.

• Where to Fish on Fox Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Sullivan County names brown trout, brook trout and smallmouth bass. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Fox Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 68°F in July and bottoms out near 22°F in January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Climate averages put the opening at about early April and the closing near mid December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Fox Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Halfmoon Lake, 0.4 miles away. Where Fox Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.