Fishing at Moss Lake, Herkimer County, New York

• Overview

  Herkimer County, New York, is where Moss Lake sits. It stands 1,759 feet above sea level. Roughly 120 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Roughly 1.9 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Size puts it in the front rank of our Herkimer County list. The nearest place of any size is Lowville, 32 miles away. It is 83 miles to Syracuse, the nearest city. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Moss Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name white sucker, yellow perch and brook trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Moss Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 13°F to 64°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Moss Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Bubb Lake, 0.9 miles out. Where Moss Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.