Fishing Grampus Lake in Hamilton County, New York

• Overview

  Out in Hamilton County, New York, sits Grampus Lake. The bank gives way to rolling bush. Roughly 257 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. The perimeter runs near 4.0 miles, so plan the walk before you start. On our Hamilton County list it sits near the top for size. Nearest place of any size is Tupper Lake, 13 miles away. Then Saranac Lake, 27 miles, and North Elba, 30 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Grampus Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Hamilton County include lake trout, brook trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and brown bullhead. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Grampus Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 64°F in July and bottoms out near 13°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly early December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Grampus Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Mosquito Pond, 1.4 miles away. Where Grampus Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.