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Best chain pickerel lakes in New York

14 New York waters hold chain pickerel, 14 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. The eastern esox — a lie-in-wait weed-bed assassin that bites all year, including through the ice.

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. Schroon Lake — 150 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie
5. Otsego Lake — 166 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Bluegill
6. Brant Lake — 70 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
7. Saratoga Lake — 95 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
8. Paradox Lake — 55 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch
9. Waneta Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
10. Goodyear Lake — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
11. Mahopac Lake — 62 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Brown Trout, Chain Pickerel
12. Lamoka Lake — 45 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
13. Kinderhook Lake — 33 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel
14. Honk Lake — 17 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel

When to fish chain pickerel in New York

• Spring 2–10 ft — Early spawner: post-spawn fish prowl warming, weedy bays and eat everything that moves.
• Summer 3–15 ft — Classic ambush game: weed edges, pad fields and dock shade — flashy, steady retrieves.
• Fall 4–15 ft — Feeding hard around the last green weeds as water cools.
• Winter 5–18 ft — One of ice fishing's most reliable biters — shiners on tip-ups over weed flats.

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 rock bass lakes · best white perch lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes

Chain Pickerel elsewhere: New Hampshire · Massachusetts · Connecticut · Maine · Rhode Island