Fishing Highlands Forge Lake in Essex County, New York

• Overview

  Highlands Forge Lake is an Essex County water, New York side. It lies 574 feet above sea level. At about 124 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Around 1.8 miles of margin, front to back. On our Essex County list it sits near the top for size. The nearest place of any size is Keeseville, 6.8 miles away. The nearest city of size is Ville-Marie, 75 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Highlands Forge Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Essex County names brown trout, brook trout and white sucker. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Treat Highlands Forge Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 69°F, the coldest about 18°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice clears near early April and comes back about mid December in a typical year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Highlands Forge Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Florence Pond at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Highlands Forge Lake if anything is unclear.