The Lagoon Fishing near Barnum Island, New York

• Overview

  Within Nassau County, New York, you have The Lagoon. The bank gives way to farm and woodlot. Small at around 3 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Nassau County are larger. Supplies mean a trip to Barnum Island, 0.1 miles off. Further out sit Island Park (0.5 miles) and Harbor Isle (0.9 miles). Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on The Lagoon

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The tide is the timetable on this water; two hours either side of the change usually fish hardest. Slack water is dead water on a place like this. Reed and marsh margins hold fish through the moving hours. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The Lagoon gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 75°F in July and bottoms out near 32°F in January. A lid forms in a hard winter only. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Anyone fishing The Lagoon regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. A pier or jetty stands half a mile away, which helps on a crowded bank. Ralph's Tackle is the mapped fishing point, half a mile out. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For The Lagoon in particular, ask before you travel.