Fishing at Pack Forest Lake, Warren County, New York

• Overview

  The Warren County end of New York holds Pack Forest Lake. Around the bank it is mixed forest. It runs to roughly 73 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The full circuit measures close to 1.8 miles on foot. It ranks high for size among our Warren County listings. Some 4.6 miles away sits Warrensburg, the nearest settlement. Queensbury follows at 16 miles, then Hadley at 17 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Pack Forest Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Warren County: brown trout, brook trout, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and white sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Pack Forest Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 18°F and July at about 68°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. The lid tends to go about early April and return around mid December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Pack Forest Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. Part of this sits inside or beside Charles Lathrop Pack Demonstration Forest, so read the notices. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Kellum Pond, 1.7 miles away. For Pack Forest Lake in particular, ask before you travel.