Fishing Round Lake in Oneida County, New York

• Overview

  Round Lake lies within the bounds of Oneida County, New York. It sits at 1,401 feet above sea level. The water covers some 52 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The whole outline is near 1.1 miles, and most of it is walkable. You are 8.5 miles from Boonville. Beyond it, Lowville at 24 miles and Rome at 26 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Round Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Oneida County cover brown trout, white sucker and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Round Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 66°F; the cold one sits at 16°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near early December in autumn. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It sets the rhythm of the year at Round Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Mudhole Pond at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Round Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.