Little Lake Fishing near Canton, New York

• Overview

  Little Lake sits within St. Lawrence County in New York. Country round the bank runs to pine and birch. A splashy cast here empties the swim; a quiet one owns it. It is a small entry by St. Lawrence County standards. Canton lies 16 miles from the water. It is 67 miles to Kingston, the nearest city. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Little Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. County-wide records name rock bass, smallmouth bass and pumpkinseed. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Little Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 15°F and July at about 67°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Anyone fishing Little Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Warden Pond sits 2 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Little Lake in what we hold.