Lower Reservoir Fishing near Oneonta, New York

• Overview

  Lower Reservoir is an Otsego County water, New York side. The setting is mixed forest on every side. At 5 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Otsego County list holds plenty of bigger water. Start from Oneonta, 2.1 miles down the road. Further out sit West End (2.5 miles) and Delhi (16 miles). The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Lower Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Across Otsego County, recorded fish include brown trout, brook trout, white sucker and common carp. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. The near bank of Lower Reservoir is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 21°F in January and 67°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. Ice clears near early April and comes back about mid December in a typical year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It sets the rhythm of the year at Lower Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Wilber Lake at 2.5 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Lower Reservoir may have changed since it was mapped.