Melody Lake, New York: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Melody Lake sits within Sullivan County in New York. The ground round it is rolling bush. It covers about 18 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Start from Monticello, 4 miles down the road. For a city, Paterson is 54 miles off. Round about: Trout Lake 1 mile away, Saint Josephs Lake 1.7 miles, Wildwood Lake 2.7 miles away, Davis Lake 4 miles and Sackett Lake 4 miles away. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Melody Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Sullivan County records list brown trout, brook trout, smallmouth bass, white sucker and rainbow trout among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Melody Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 22°F to 68°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Count the season from break-up, usually early April. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly mid December. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Melody Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. 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. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Trout Lake at 1 mile is the sensible second choice. Signs at Melody Lake carry more weight than any list.