Winter Lake Fishing near Gloversville, New York

• Overview

  Winter Lake falls in Hamilton County, part of New York. Around the bank it is lake country bush. At roughly 8 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Most waters listed here for Hamilton County are larger. Gloversville sits 13 miles from the bank. For a city, Albany is 53 miles off. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Winter Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Hamilton County include lake trout, brook trout, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Winter Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 65°F in July and bottoms out near 15°F in January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at early December. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on Winter Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. 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. 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 a change of water, Fisher Vly Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Treat Winter Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.