Monument Lake Fishing in Herkimer County, New York

• Overview

  Monument Lake sits within Herkimer County in New York. Country round the bank runs to lake country bush. It covers about 16 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. By elevation it is in the upper part of our New York listings. Nearest place of any size is Boonville, 26 miles away. It is 76 miles to Syracuse, the nearest city. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Monument Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Herkimer County records list white sucker, yellow perch and brook trout among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Monument Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 63°F on average, January about 13°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Expect the water usable from around late April until roughly late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Monument Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Snyder Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position on Monument Lake before loading the car.