Lake Superior near Monticello: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Lake Superior sits within Sullivan County in New York. It stands 1,266 feet above sea level. It measures about 195 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Bank access stretches around 2.8 miles in total. On our Sullivan County list it sits near the top for size. Monticello lies 9.7 miles from the water. Liberty lies 11 miles off, South Fallsburg another 13 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Superior

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name brown trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass, white sucker and rainbow trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Lake Superior before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 68°F for July and 22°F for January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. Open water usually runs from early April until about mid December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Lake Superior the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A launch point is recorded some half a mile off. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Little Black Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Lake Superior for certain.