Ossining Reservoir near Ossining: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Westchester County, New York, this is Ossining Reservoir. The surroundings are open valley. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. Our Westchester County list holds plenty of bigger water. Nearest place of any size is Ossining, 0.9 miles away. Briarcliff Manor lies 1.6 miles off, Pleasantville another 3.4 miles. The county line runs close by, so rules can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Ossining Reservoir

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. County-wide records name common carp, striped bass, bluegill and brown trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Ossining Reservoir a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 74°F and January reads 29°F. A long season, with weather mattering more than the month. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Ossining Reservoir runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. There is recorded parking some 90 yards off. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Lodge Pool, 0.9 miles out. The position on Ossining Reservoir is worth confirming on the day.