Mountain Lake Fishing near Gloversville, New York

• Overview

  Mountain Lake lies in Fulton County, in New York. It lies 1,591 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 42 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Around 1.3 miles of margin, front to back. The closest town, Gloversville, is 3.9 miles away. Albany sits 44 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Mountain Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Fulton County cover brown trout, brook trout, white sucker and brown bullhead. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Read Mountain Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 67°F, while January sits near 17°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about early December. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. At Mountain Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. The nearest alternative is Hines Pond, 0.9 miles out. Where Mountain Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.