Van Cortlandt Lake Fishing in Bronx County, New York

• Overview

  Van Cortlandt Lake sits in Bronx County, out in New York. It stands 26 feet above sea level. Small at around 12 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is low-lying compared with other New York water we list. Riverdale lies 1.1 miles from the water. For a city, Yonkers is 2.5 miles off. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Van Cortlandt Lake

  There is a figure for this one: 8 ft. Salt or brackish and tidal: fish the flow, rest at slack, and watch the mud on a falling tide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Bronx County include common carp, bluegill, tessellated darter, pumpkinseed and white sucker. Van Cortlandt Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 31°F in January up to 76°F in July. In milder years the surface never sets. Hard water here is never dependable, so check for yourself before stepping out. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. The season on Van Cortlandt Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  This one is in public ownership, with the usual conditions. A parking area is marked roughly half a mile out. A picnic site half a mile off makes this workable with family in tow. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Jerome Park Reservoir, 0.9 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Van Cortlandt Lake for certain.