Fishing at Sherman Lake, Essex County, New York

• Overview

  Sherman Lake falls in Essex County, part of New York. It sits at 1,093 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 30 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. For a base, Port Henry sits 5.7 miles out. Albany is the closest city, 93 miles away. More in the same country: Bullpout Pond 1.2 miles away, Snake Pond after 1.3 miles, Trout Pond 1.6 miles away, Huse Pond after 1.7 miles and Burris Pond 2.1 miles away. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Sherman Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Essex County cover brown trout, brook trout and white sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Sherman Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 67°F; the cold one sits at 17°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to early December. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Sherman Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Bullpout Pond, 1.2 miles out. What applies at Sherman Lake may have changed since it was mapped.