Metcalf Chain of Lakes Fishing Guide, Hamilton County, New York

• Overview

  Metcalf Chain of Lakes sits in Hamilton County, out in New York. The country here is mixed forest. At roughly 14 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is high ground by New York standards. Start from Dolgeville, 27 miles down the road. The nearest city of size is Albany, 72 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Metcalf Chain of Lakes

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Hamilton County include lake trout, brook trout and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Read Metcalf Chain of Lakes for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 13°F in January to roughly 63°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Plan any trip to Metcalf Chain of Lakes around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Metcalf Lake is 1.2 miles off. Nothing on Metcalf Chain of Lakes should be assumed from this page alone.