Lake Lauderdale Fishing in Washington County, New York

• Overview

  Washington County in New York is where Lake Lauderdale sits. The setting is lake country bush on every side. Roughly 78 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Roughly 1.7 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Size puts it in the front rank of our Washington County list. Cambridge lies 4.3 miles from the water. Further out sit Greenwich (6.3 miles) and Schuylerville (11 miles). No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lake Lauderdale

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Washington County, recorded fish include brown trout, white sucker and tessellated darter. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Lake Lauderdale fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 19°F in January up to 70°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. On Lake Lauderdale that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Should this one be busy, Schoolhouse Lake is 0.4 miles off. Confirm access to Lake Lauderdale locally before you travel.