Fishing at Lake Minnewaska, Ulster County, New York

• Overview

  Ulster County, New York, is where Lake Minnewaska sits. Tidal water begins 32 miles from here. With some 36 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 1.0 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Kerhonkson sits 4.7 miles from the bank. After that come Watchtower at 6.2 miles and Wawarsing at 6.7 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lake Minnewaska

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Ulster County cover common carp, brown trout, brook trout and goldfish. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Lake Minnewaska responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 24°F at the bottom of winter. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late March. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late March until roughly late December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Plan any trip to Lake Minnewaska around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. A picnic site half a mile off makes this workable with family in tow. Toilets are half a mile away, which matters on a long session. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Lake Awosting is 3.1 miles off. What applies at Lake Minnewaska may have changed since it was mapped.