Wonder Lake in Putnam County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Wonder Lake lies in Putnam County, New York. Salt water lies 20 miles off. Roughly 26 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. 2.2 miles away sits Lake Carmel, the nearest town. For a city, North Stamford is 25 miles off. Within a short drive: Lake Carmel at 2.2 miles, Lake Dutchess within 2.3 miles, Mendel Pond at 2.4 miles, Mill Pond within 2.5 miles and Dean Pond at 2.9 miles. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Wonder Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name brown trout, bluegill, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. At Wonder Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 72°F and January reads 25°F. Ice comes and goes from one year to the next. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Wonder Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Lake Carmel, 2.2 miles away. Signs at Wonder Lake carry more weight than any list.