Fishing at Schroon Lake, Essex County, New York

• Overview

  Set in Essex County, Schroon Lake is a New York water. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. It covers about 6.7 sq miles, which means weather matters as much as tactics. The perimeter is close to 31 miles, and wind can be flat in one arm and rough in the next. By surface area it heads our Essex County listings. Start from Ticonderoga, 18 miles down the road. For a city, Albany is 78 miles off. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Schroon Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. 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. Species logged across Essex County include brown trout, brook trout, white sucker and pumpkinseed. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Schroon Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 67°F for July and 17°F for January. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Expect Schroon Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It is an impounded water, so levels are managed and can shift through the year. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Thurman Pond sits 2.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Schroon Lake should be assumed from this page alone.