Upper Reservoir, New York: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Upper Reservoir in the Orange County part of New York. Salt water lies 7.5 miles off. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Cornwall at 2.4 miles is the nearest place to stop. For a city, North Stamford is 30 miles off. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Upper Reservoir

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Across Orange County, recorded fish include common carp, brook trout and bluegill. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Fish Upper Reservoir where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 71°F, while January sits near 25°F. In milder years the surface never sets. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. On Upper Reservoir the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Should this one be busy, Aleck Meadow Reservoir is 0.6 miles off. Nothing on Upper Reservoir should be assumed from this page alone.