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Best brown bullhead lakes in New York

22 New York waters hold brown bullhead, 22 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Night-feeding catfish of weedy, mud-bottomed lakes — the classic after-dark shoreline bite across the east and Canada.

1. Cayuga Lake — 435 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
2. Great Sacandaga Lake — 78 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
3. Skaneateles Lake — 300 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill, Yellow Perch
4. Long Lake — 38 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch
5. Owasco Lake — 177 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
6. Indian Lake — 88 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout
7. Tupper Lake — 85 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch
8. Schroon Lake — 150 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
9. Raquette Lake — 95 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout
10. Otsego Lake — 166 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill
11. Brant Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
12. Saratoga Lake — 95 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
13. Cross Lake — 66 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Crappie
14. Chazy Lake — 78 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Lake Trout, Brook Trout
15. Paradox Lake — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch
16. Cazenovia Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
17. Cossayuna Lake — 25 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
18. Cuba Lake — 44 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
19. Waneta Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
20. Meacham Lake — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Brown Trout
21. Goodyear Lake — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
22. Lamoka Lake — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill

When to fish brown bullhead in New York

• Spring 2–8 ft — First warm rains pull bullheads into black-bottomed bays and creek mouths — the classic spring shore bite.
• Summer 3–12 ft — Day fish hold on deeper mud and weed edges; after dark they spread across the shallows to feed by smell.
• Fall 5–15 ft — Fish slide toward deeper soft bottoms as the shallows cool — the evening bite shortens with the days.
• Winter 10–25 ft — Bullheads pod up half-dormant in the deepest mud basins; a long soak with bait on bottom is the lone play.

Also in New York: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best walleye lakes · best northern pike lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best steelhead lakes · best lake trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best landlocked salmon lakes · best chain pickerel lakes · best rock bass lakes · best white perch lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes

Brown Bullhead elsewhere: Minnesota · Michigan · New Hampshire · South Dakota