Rondout Reservoir Fishing near Brownville, New York

• Overview

  The Ulster County entry here is Rondout Reservoir, in New York. It sits at 837 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 3.3 sq miles, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The shoreline runs to about 16 miles, far more than one trip can cover. On our Ulster County list it sits near the top for size. For a base, Brownville sits 5.1 miles out. After that come Wawarsing at 7.5 miles and Napanoch at 7.7 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Rondout Reservoir

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Across Ulster County, recorded fish include common carp, brown trout and brook trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Rondout Reservoir decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 69°F; by January the average is down near 23°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late March. Average temperatures cross freezing around late March in spring and again near late December in autumn. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. It sets the rhythm of the year at Rondout Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. The nearest car park we can see is half a mile out, so expect a walk with your gear. This sits inside Deer Kill Creek Unit, so read the reserve notices first. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Ulster Heights Lake, 3.5 miles out. None of that is settled for Rondout Reservoir in what we hold.