Stone Dam Lake Fishing in Herkimer County, New York

• Overview

  Stone Dam Lake lies in Herkimer County, New York. Height above sea level is 1,644 feet. At roughly 20 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Boonville is the closest place, 14 miles off. Oriskany follows at 27 miles, then Rome at 28 miles. Other water nearby: Mink Lake 1.9 miles off, Chub Pond the better part of 2.2 miles, Reeds Pond 2.4 miles off, Buck Pond the better part of 2.6 miles and Deep Lake 3.4 miles off. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Stone Dam Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Survey and observation records for Herkimer County include white sucker, yellow perch and brook trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Stone Dam Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 65°F, with January the cold end at about 16°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near early December: that is the shape of an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Stone Dam Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Should this one be busy, Mink Lake is 1.9 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Stone Dam Lake.