Lake Jimmy Fishing in Essex County, New York

• Overview

  Lake Jimmy is an Essex County water, New York side. It sits at 1,745 feet above sea level. At about 39 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. You are 12 miles from North Elba. Further out sit Lake Placid (14 miles) and Saranac Lake (18 miles). Within a short run: Lake Sally at 0.7 miles, Henderson Lake at about 1.5 miles, Harkness Lake at 1.7 miles, Cheney Pond at about 2.6 miles and Lake Andrew at 3.3 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lake Jimmy

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Essex County include brown trout, brook trout, white sucker, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Lake Jimmy the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 64°F; the cold one sits at 14°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lake Jimmy.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. A toilet block sits 0.9 miles away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Lake Sally, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Lake Jimmy are worth checking on the day.