Fishing at Little Forked Lake, Hamilton County, New York

• Overview

  Set in Hamilton County, Little Forked Lake is a New York water. Everything around it is mixed forest. Surface area runs to roughly 619 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The outline measures near 20 miles, so a boat opens up water the bank never reaches. Few waters listed in Hamilton County are bigger. Tupper Lake at 23 miles is the nearest place to stop. Saranac Lake is 37 miles and North Elba 39 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Little Forked Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Hamilton County include lake trout, brook trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and brown bullhead. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Little Forked Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 13°F in January and 64°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to early December. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Little Forked Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. It is an impounded water, so levels are managed and can shift through the year. Boats go in at Forked Lake Boat Launch, roughly half a mile from the water. Overnight stays are possible half a mile away. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Plumley Pond, 1.6 miles out. Nothing on Little Forked Lake should be assumed from this page alone.