Iroquois Lake near Schenectady: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Iroquois Lake falls in Schenectady County, part of New York. The water sits 377 feet up. The water measures roughly 7 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our Schenectady County list. Schenectady is the closest town at 1.7 miles. Rotterdam lies 3.1 miles off, Scotia another 3.2 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Iroquois Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for Schenectady County list common carp, brown trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and walleye. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Iroquois Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 72°F for July and 21°F for January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count the season from break-up, usually late March. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about mid December. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Iroquois Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. A ramp is mapped within 140 yards. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. A toilet block sits half a mile away. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Collins Lake, 2.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Iroquois Lake.