Fishing at Third Lake, Hamilton County, New York

• Overview

  Third Lake sits in Hamilton County, out in New York. The water sits 1,808 feet up. Roughly 54 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 1.4 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Dolgeville sits 13 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Albany, 57 miles distant. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Third Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Hamilton County, recorded fish include lake trout, brook trout and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Treat Third Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 15°F to 65°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. 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. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Third Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Fourth Lake, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Third Lake may have changed since it was mapped.