Fishing at Grill Lake, Greene County, New York

• Overview

  Grill Lake is a Greene County water, in New York. The country here is mixed forest. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. Our Greene County list holds plenty of bigger water. Palenville at 6.8 miles is the nearest place to stop. The nearest city of size is Albany, 39 miles away. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Grill Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Across Greene County, recorded fish include common carp, rudd and goldfish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Grill Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 19°F in January and 65°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly early December. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Grill Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. The water borders Platte Clove Road Unit, so expect the reserve rules to apply. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Lake Rip Van Winkle is 2.3 miles distant. Rules at Grill Lake are worth checking on the day.