Lake Margarite, New York: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lake Margarite sits in Herkimer County, out in New York. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. At 4 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Herkimer County list holds plenty of bigger water. Boonville lies 16 miles from the water. Then Oriskany, 20 miles, and Utica, 21 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Lake Margarite

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Across Herkimer County, recorded fish include white sucker, yellow perch, brook trout, brown bullhead and brown trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Lake Margarite gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 66°F in July and bottom out at 17°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Lake Margarite runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Lake Charlotte, 0.3 miles away. For Lake Margarite, the notice at the access point is the final word.