Lake Tear of the Clouds Fishing Guide, Essex County, New York

• Overview

  Out in Essex County, New York, sits Lake Tear of the Clouds. It sits in mixed forest. It is high ground by New York standards. Nearest town is North Elba, 9.5 miles off. Lake Placid follows at 12 miles, then Saranac Lake at 18 miles. Not far off: Avalanche Lake (2.4 miles), Lake Colden about 2.5 miles, Livingston Pond (2.6 miles), Calamity Pond about 3.2 miles and Upper Ausable Lake (3.7 miles). Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Lake Tear of the Clouds

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Essex County include brown trout, brook trout and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. On Lake Tear of the Clouds the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 60°F at the top of summer and 11°F at the bottom of winter. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early May. Open water usually runs from early May until about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Lake Tear of the Clouds regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. There are toilets half a mile off. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Avalanche Lake, 2.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Lake Tear of the Clouds.