Lily Lake Fishing Guide, Broome County, New York

• Overview

  Set in Broome County, Lily Lake is a New York water. The bank is 899 feet above sea level. It covers about 21 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Chenango Bridge sits 3.7 miles from the bank. For a city, Syracuse is 60 miles off. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Lily Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name smallmouth bass, common carp and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The near bank of Lily Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 69°F for July and 22°F for January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near mid December in autumn. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. At Lily Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Chenango Lake, 0.5 miles out. Check the position on Lily Lake before loading the car.