Fishing Queer Lake in Herkimer County, New York

• Overview

  Set in Herkimer County, Queer Lake is a New York water. The surface lies 1,972 feet up. It runs to roughly 118 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The edge covers about 3.2 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. It ranks high for size among our Herkimer County listings. Head to Tupper Lake, 33 miles away, for anything you forgot. Then Lowville, 35 miles, and Boonville, 35 miles. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Queer Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Herkimer County names white sucker, yellow perch, brook trout, brown bullhead and brown trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. The near bank of Queer Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 64°F and January reads 13°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. Ice usually gives way near late April, and forms again about early December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Queer Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. 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. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Chain Ponds at 0.8 miles is the nearest alternative. Signs at Queer Lake carry more weight than any list.