Tamarack Lake in Herkimer County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Tamarack Lake sits within Herkimer County in New York. The surface lies 1,657 feet up. It runs to roughly 33 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. You are 18 miles from Boonville. It is 68 miles to Syracuse, the nearest city. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Tamarack Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Herkimer County cover white sucker, yellow perch, brook trout, brown bullhead and brown trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Read Tamarack Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 65°F and January near 15°F on the long-run figures. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about early December. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Plan any trip to Tamarack Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Gull Lake, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Tamarack Lake.