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Best muskellunge lakes in New York

19 New York waters hold muskellunge, 17 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 fish of 10,000 casts. Apex predator that shadows weed edges, rock and open-water bait schools.

1. Lake Erie — Eastern Basin — 205 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
2. Allegheny Reservoir — 180 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout
3. Chautauqua Lake — 75 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
4. St. Lawrence River — Alexandria Bay to Chippewa Bay — 171 ft max · survey depth data · Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish
5. Loon Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
6. Lake Durant — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Muskellunge, Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed
7. Horseshoe Lake — 10 ft max · survey depth data · Walleye, Muskellunge, Brook Trout
8. Payne Lake — 15 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
9. Moon Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Crappie, Bluegill
10. Hyde Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
11. Jamesville Reservoir — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
12. Lime Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill
13. Lake Ronkonkoma — 66 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
14. Bear Lake — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike
15. Chenango Lake — 30 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Muskellunge
16. Upper Cassadaga Lake — 35 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
17. Stissing Pond — 65 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, Muskellunge, Yellow Perch
18. Lower Cassadaga Lake — 50 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
19. Lake Como — 20 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Bluegill

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When to fish muskellunge in New York

• Spring 3–12 ft — Post-spawn fish recover in shallow, warming bays — smaller baits, slower work.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep weedlines, rock points and open-water humps near bait schools.
• Fall 8–30 ft — The trophy season: big baits worked slow on steep rock and remaining green weeds.
• Winter 15–35 ft — Mostly dormant; deep basins adjacent to structure.

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 striped bass lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best freshwater drum 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 lake whitefish lakes · best rock bass lakes · best white perch lakes · best cisco (lake herring) lakes · best splake lakes · best pumpkinseed lakes · best brown bullhead lakes

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