Fishing Lake Metauque in Sullivan County, New York

• Overview

  This water sits in Sullivan County, New York. It lies 1,273 feet above sea level. At about 75 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Bank access stretches around 1.4 miles in total. Barryville sits 7.1 miles from the bank. It is 52 miles to Paterson, the nearest city. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Lake Metauque

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name brown trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass, white sucker and rainbow trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Lake Metauque repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 69°F, the coldest about 23°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. 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 late December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Expect Lake Metauque to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Sullivan Forest Preserve Detached Parcel covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Mohican Lake is 1.6 miles distant. Ask locally about Lake Metauque if anything is unclear.