Head North for Ice Fishing Options: Part II

Black crappie, yellow perch and chain pickerel are favored targets on shallow Mongaup Pond. Outdootom.com photo.

Picking up where we left off in Part 1, our brief tour of some upstate New York ice-fishing hot spots continues. Before moving on, however, a couple notes on our selections, and ice fishing in general, need to be shared.

First off, each of the lakes in both Part 1 and Part 2 on this topic see a decent amount of angler activity during ice-fishing season, so don’t expect to have the ice all to yourself. That’s a good thing from a safety perspective as fishing alone on any hardwater surface can be dangerous since there’ll be no one around to help should you fall through the ice, slip and injure yourself or have a medical emergency. Always buddy-up for ice-fishing sessions – even if heading to your “secret” hotspot.

Coulter, in fact, encourages a degree of togetherness for ice fishing crews. “Ice fishing is unique because it allows you to spend time literally on the water with family and friends   without the confines of a boat,” he points out. “It’s great for hanging out and throwing around a football while catching some fish and sharing good food. It’s a little more of a social event up here than you might expect if you’ve never given it a try this far north.”

Once again, for a thorough review of ice fishing information, including ice fishing safety, regulations and potential fishing locations, we strongly encourage you to visit the DEC’s ice fishing web page.

Although tiny jigs account for plenty of panfish and predators, live shiners are readily available upstate and offer an advantage when targeting yellow perch, crappies, chain pickerel, bass and trout. Outdootom.com photo.

Chodikee Lake, Ulster County (63 Acres)      

Access: NYS DEC; 900 N Chodikee Lake Rd., Highland, NY

(5 miles east of New Paltz off Route 299)

• Local Contact: Keepin It Reel Bait & Tackle, Poughkeepsie, NY;  https://www.hudsonvalleybaitandtackle.com; 845-214-0021

Chodikee Lake produces some really nice sized largemouth bass, plus plenty of panfish. “It’s bowl shape makes it easy to imagine where you might have luck, with bluegill and crappie relatively close to shore, the bass a little further out, and a generous number of yellow perch, ‘gills, plus an occasional bullhead in open water toward the middle of the lake,” reveals Coulter.

The eastern side of this lake is the usual starting place for local ice fishing fans, but the entire lake holds potential so it’s okay to spread out and try new spots if you don’t connect as quickly as expected. Live bait works best for the bass here while the panfish are quite agreeable to ice jigs tipped with wax worms if you can get them.

Map courtesy of NYS DEC.

Morningside Lake, Sullivan County (130 Acres)

• Access: Town of Fallsburg Morningside Park; 11 Morningside Rd., Hurleyville, NY; Carry down access provided by the Town of Fallsburg on the south shore off of Rte. 52.
• Local Contact: Fur, Fin and Feather, Livingston Manor, NY; https://www.thefurfinfeather.com; 845-439-4476

“According to Coulter, this is your classic shallow, weedy panfish producer, with bluegill, yellow perch and black crappie the primary targets. You’ll also drill some chain pickerel here, along with largemouth bass if you choose to focus your efforts in a little deeper water just outside the panfish hot spots. 

Small jigs tipped with a wax worm or meal worm will get the job done with the agreeable panfish here. For the bass and picks, it’s tough to beat a live shiner suspended just below the ice form a tip-up positioned on the outside edge of a submerged weed bed.

Map courtesy of NYS DEC.

Lake Superior, Sullivan County (90 acres)

• Access: Lake Superior State Park, 342 Dr Duggan Rd., Bethel, NY
• Local Contact: Sportsman’s Den, Callicoon, NY; 845-887-4800

“This place is a solid bet for yellow perch and pickerel action,” relays Coulter. “It’s a popular spot that freezes over most years.”

With the perch, picks and bass all reasonable options, this is a great spot for live-lining shiners from tip-ups. The lake has a unique shape, with coves, open areas, points and pinch points all easy to find. Don’t stay in place if the bite is slow to develop, there are a lot of fishy-looking places to try here. In addition to the perch and picks, you’ll also encounter brown bullhead, black crappie and largemouth bass at this location.

Map courtesy of NYS DEC.

Mongaup Pond, Sullivan County (96.8 acres)

• Access: 231 Mongaup Pond Road, Livingston Manor, NY 12758
• Local Contact: Fur, Fin and Feather, Livingston Manor, NY; https://www.thefurfinfeather.com; 845-439-4476

This is another lake with great access to the water’s edge, notes Coulter. “Anglers here tend to focus on the good-sized yellow perch, crappie and chain pickerel.”

With a max depth of about 10’ and of 5.6 feet, Long Island ice fishing fans should feel right at home at this location. The lake is weedy, but it is somewhat protected from the wind  - a big plus in terms of angler comfort and the ability of the lake to freeze with regularity. Look for the bigger picks to hold just beyond the 5’ contour line and the biggest perch to stack up in 8’ to 10’ depths. Setting tip-ups along the prominent point or inside the cove on the east side of the lake will squeeze the contour lines together so you’ll be able to cover multiple depths more easily. Keep in mind that, for shallow waters like this one, depth chances of just a foot or two can sometimes make a difference in your catch. 

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