Meacham Lake Fishing Guide, Franklin County, New York

• Overview

  Meacham Lake belongs to Franklin County, New York. The country here is lake country bush. The water covers around 1,203 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The outline measures near 5.8 miles, so local knowledge counts. Few waters listed in Franklin County are bigger. 18 miles away sits Saranac Lake, the nearest town. After that come Malone at 20 miles and Lake Placid at 25 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Meacham Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Across Franklin County, recorded fish include brook trout, white sucker, brown trout, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Treat Meacham Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in July and bottoms out near 13°F in January. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Meacham Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. For a change of water, Star Mountain Pond is 1.5 miles distant. For Meacham Lake in particular, ask before you travel.