Lake Neatahwanta Fishing in Oswego County, New York

• Overview

  Within Oswego County, New York, you have Lake Neatahwanta. This is rolling bush ground. This is sizeable water at about 776 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. There is roughly 4.5 miles of bank, more than one visit can cover properly. On our Oswego County list it sits near the top for size. For supplies, Fulton is 1.4 miles out. Volney lies 4.7 miles off, Minetto another 6.5 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Lake Neatahwanta

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Oswego County, recorded fish include alewife, rainbow smelt, lake trout, johnny darter and yellow perch. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Lake Neatahwanta should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 70°F and January about 22°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. The open-water window runs from around early April to about mid December in an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Lake Neatahwanta follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Sharps Pond, 2.4 miles out. Treat Lake Neatahwanta as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.