Fishing Lake Petonia in Chenango County, New York

• Overview

  Lake Petonia is set in Chenango County, New York. It stands 942 feet above sea level. It measures about 25 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Supplies mean a trip to Greene, 1.5 miles off. After that come Lakeview at 7.7 miles and Chenango Bridge at 12 miles. What else is close: Van Valkenburgh Pond (2.9 miles), Echo Lake at 4.6 miles, Round Pond (5.1 miles), Truitt Pond at 5.7 miles and Borden Pond (6.2 miles). A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Lake Petonia

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Chenango County, recorded fish include white sucker, brown trout and brook trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Lake Petonia the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 69°F for July and 22°F for January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about mid December. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It holds true on Lake Petonia more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Van Valkenburgh Pond sits 2.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Lake Petonia are worth checking on the day.