Mountain Lake Fishing in Herkimer County, New York

• Overview

  Herkimer County, New York, is where Mountain Lake sits. The surface lies 2,549 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 13 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is high ground by New York standards. Supplies mean a trip to Boonville, 28 miles off. Dolgeville is 33 miles away, with Little Falls at 37 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Mountain Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Herkimer County records list white sucker, yellow perch, brook trout and brown bullhead among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Mountain Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 13°F in January up to 63°F in July. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Mountain Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Monument Lake at 1.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Signs at Mountain Lake carry more weight than any list.