Pigeon Lake, New York: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Pigeon Lake in the Hamilton County part of New York. The setting is pine and birch on every side. It measures about 44 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. About 1.7 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It sits higher than most water we list in New York. Nearest place of any size is Tupper Lake, 30 miles away. For a city, Syracuse is 89 miles off. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Pigeon Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Hamilton County names lake trout, brook trout, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Pigeon Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 64°F and January near 13°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Break-up comes around late April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about late April to early December. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Pigeon Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The water borders Pigeon Lake Wilderness, so reserve rules are likely to apply. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Haymarsh Ponds, 1.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Pigeon Lake.