Lake Riley in Monroe County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake Riley is set in Monroe County, New York. Elevation runs to 495 feet. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Monroe County list. Brighton is the closest town at 1.2 miles. It is 2.5 miles to Rochester, the nearest city. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Lake Riley

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Fish documented in Monroe County include alewife, rainbow smelt, johnny darter and lake trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Lake Riley the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 72°F, the coldest about 24°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late March. The open-water window runs from around late March to about late December in an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. At Lake Riley the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. A parking area is marked roughly 130 yards out. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Cobbs Hill Reservoir at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Lake Riley.