Soft Maple Reservoir, New York: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Soft Maple Reservoir sits within Lewis County in New York. It sits in mixed forest. About 338 acres, so local knowledge or a boat saves a lot of walking. You are looking at roughly 5.5 miles of shoreline, with plenty of water between access points. It ranks high for size among our Lewis County listings. Lowville lies 16 miles from the water. Then Carthage, 20 miles, and West Carthage, 20 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Soft Maple Reservoir

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Across Lewis County, recorded fish include white sucker, brown trout, pumpkinseed and brook trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Soft Maple Reservoir fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 65°F in July and bottom out at 15°F in January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about mid April to early December. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Soft Maple Reservoir runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Snider Pond is 1.9 miles off. The position on Soft Maple Reservoir is worth confirming on the day.