Fredonia Reservoir Fishing Guide, Chautauqua County, New York

• Overview

  Fredonia Reservoir falls in Chautauqua County, part of New York. It lies 1,053 feet above sea level. Around 45 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The closest town, Fredonia, is 3.4 miles distant. Then Dunkirk, 6 miles, and Brocton, 6.6 miles. Near neighbours: Upper Lake after 2.5 miles, Mud Lake at 2.7 miles, Middle Lake after 3.3 miles, Lower Lake at 3.4 miles and Bear Lake after 4.9 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Fredonia Reservoir

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. County-wide records name yellow perch, walleye, pumpkinseed and muskellunge. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fredonia Reservoir gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 69°F, while January sits near 23°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about early April to late December. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. The season on Fredonia Reservoir follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Upper Lake, 2.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. The position on Fredonia Reservoir is worth confirming on the day.