Fishing Spruce Lake in Hamilton County, New York

• Overview

  Spruce Lake is set in Hamilton County, New York. The bank is 2,382 feet above sea level. The water covers some 177 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Around 3.2 miles of bank, which is a long day on foot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Hamilton County list. The closest town, Northville, is 31 miles away. Dolgeville is 31 miles and Edinburg 33 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Spruce Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Hamilton County cover lake trout, brook trout, yellow perch, smallmouth bass and brown bullhead. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Spruce Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 13°F to 63°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late April. Break-up near late April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Spruce Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Dewitt Pond at 1.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Spruce Lake for certain.