Lily Lake near Boonville: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  New York holds Lily Lake, in Herkimer County. Everything around it is rolling bush. This is a pocket water of some 22 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. You are 17 miles from Boonville. Beyond it, Lowville at 30 miles and Oriskany at 31 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here. Expect roughly 53 inches of rain across the year, peaking in November.

• Where to Fish on Lily Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Herkimer County: white sucker, yellow perch, brook trout and brown bullhead. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The near bank of Lily Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 14°F in January up to 64°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Time your trip to Lily Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Little Woodhull Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Lily Lake before loading the car.