Freshwater fishing: On golden ponds
Joanna Kowalski, of Maspeth, Queens, takes in the view from a submerged park bench on the shore of Hempstead Lake inside Hempstead Lake Park in West Hempstead. (June 10, 2012) Credit: Linda Rosier
FREEPORT RESERVOIR, 18-acre pond bordered by Merrick and Freeport; bass, carp, sunfish, crappie.
GRANT POND, 6 acres in Hewlett; bass, bluegill, carp.
HEMPSTEAD LAKE, 167 acres in West Hempstead; Nassau's largest freshwater body; bass, pickerel, perch, crappie, bluegill, carp, sunfish. Catch and release only. No targeting black bass May 1-June 1. Aug. 4 and Oct. 13: Fishing events; see box below.
MASSAPEQUA CREEK, 1.5 acres near Clark and Linden streets, Massapequa. Stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March; has carp.
MASSAPEQUA RESERVOIR, 20 acres between Sunrise Highway and Clark Street; stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March and April; has bass, sunfish, carp, crappie, catfish.
McDONALD POND, 1 acre in Hempstead Lake State Park. Large mouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed.
OYSTER BAY MILL POND, 20 acres at West Shore Road and Lake Avenue, Oyster Bay. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March; has bass, carp.
SMITH POND, 19 acres in Rockville Centre; bass, pickerel, perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed.
UPPER TWIN POND, 20 acres between Wantagh Parkway and Old Mill Road, Wantagh. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March and April; has black crappie, largemouth bass, carp, bluegill, pumpkinseed.
WANTAGH MILL POND, 15 acres just west of Wantagh State Parkway on north side of Merrick Road; yellow perch, bass, chain pickerel, crappie, carp.
SUFFOLK
AGAWAM LAKE, 40 acres in Southampton; largemouth bass, perch, carp, brown bullhead, bluegill.
ARGYLE LAKE, 25 acres at Carlls River, Babylon. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March; has largemouth bass, sunfish, others. No boats.
ARTIST LAKE, 30-acre kettle hole in Middle Island; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappie, perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, others.
BELMONT LAKE, 19 acres at state park in North Babylon. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March and April; has largemouth bass, perch, bluegill, carp, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed.
BIG FRESH POND, 64 acres near North Sea; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, bluegill, perch.
BIG REED POND, 45 acres at Montauk County Park; largemouth bass, bluegill, white perch.
CANAAN LAKE, 26-acre man-made lake, north end of Ohls Street, North Patchogue. Has trout, largemouth bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed.
CARLLS RIVER, Babylon. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March, brown trout in May; has carp, perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed.
CARMANS RIVER, Yaphank-Shirley, about 10 miles long from near Route 25 to Great South Bay. Stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March and April, brown in May; native brown trout.
CONNETQUOT RIVER, 8 miles long, from Lakeland County Park to Great South Bay. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March-May.
FORGE POND, 120 acres, South River Road, Calverton; largemouth bass, pickerel, carp,
crappie, perch and more.
FORT POND, 181 acres in Montauk; bass, bluegill, walleye, perch, carp, catfish.
FRESH POND, 35 acres in Montauk; bass, bluegill, crappie, perch, pumpkinseed.
FRESH POND, 15 acres on Shelter Island; largemouth bass, bluegill and more.
GREAT POND, 50 acres in Southold; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappie, perch, bluegill.
HARDS LAKE, 30 acres at Southaven County Park, Brookhaven. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March and April, brown in May; has largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed (no private boats, rentals only).
HOOK POND, 64 acres in East Hampton; largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead.
ISLIP MILL POND, stocked with rainbow trout in March.
KAHLERS POND, 13 acres in East Moriches, north of Merrick Road. Stocked with rainbow trout in March; has bass and chain pickerel, perch, carp, pumpkinseed, bluegill.
KELLIS POND, 19 acres in Bridgehampton, south of Montauk Highway. Largemouth bass, bluegill.
LAKE RONKONKOMA, 243-acre glacial kettle hole is Long Island's largest lake; 65 feet at deepest. Has bass, pickerel, bluegill, crappie and more. July 11: Fishing clinic; see box below.
LAUREL LAKE, 30 acres north of Route 25 in Laurel. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in April; has bass, bluegill, perch, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed.
LITTLE FRESH POND, 19 acres near North Sea; largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, perch.
LOWER YAPHANK LAKE, 25 acres at Yaphank Avenue, and UPPER YAPHANK LAKE, 19 acres at Main Street, are stocked with trout in March through May, and have largemouth bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead. See Carmans River.
MARRATOOKA POND, 26 acres in Mattituck; largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, pumpkinseed.
MILL POND, 6 acres in Setauket; bluegill, carp, largemouth bass.
MILLERS POND, 21 acres in Smithtown; largemouth bass, perch, brown bullhead, sunfish.
NISSEQUOGUE RIVER, about 8 miles long from Hauppauge to the Sound. Stocked with brown trout in March and April and rainbow trout in April.
PATCHOGUE LAKE, 40 acres; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, crappie, perch.
PECONIC RIVER, about 12 miles long from Brookhaven National Laboratory to Peconic Bay. Stocked with brown trout in March and April.
POXABOGUE POND, 44 acres in Bridgehampton; bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed.
RANDALL POND, 4 acres north of Middle Country Road in Ridge. Stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March; has sunfish, bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed. Hand-launched boats are permitted.
RATTLESNAKE CREEK, Oakdale; tidal waters south of Montauk Highway stocked with rainbow trout in May.
SAYVILLE MILL POND, 6 acres at Montauk Highway and Mill Pond Road; has largemouth bass, sunfish.
SEARS AND BELLOWS PONDS, Hampton Bays; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, perch.
SOUTHARDS POND, 19 acres in Babylon. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March; has largemouth bass, yellow perch, carp, pickerel.
STUMP POND (also known as Blydenburgh Lake), 100 acres in Blydenburgh County Park in Smithtown. Largemouth bass, perch, sunfish.
SWAN (EAST) LAKE, 30 acres north of Montauk Highway in East Patchogue; has largemouth bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead.
SWAN POND, 57 acres in Calverton; bass, bluegill, perch, sunfish, crappie, pumpkinseed.
TWIN PONDS, 5 acres of Betty Allen Nature Preserve, Route 25A, Centerport. Stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March. Bluegill, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass.
UPPER MILLS POND, 60-acre body downstream from Forge Pond in Calverton; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed and more.
WATER MILL POND, 120 acres in Water Mill; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, perch, bluegill and more.
WEST LAKE, 20 acres at West Main Street and West Lake Drive, Patchogue. Stocked with brown trout in March, brown and rainbow trout in April; has largemouth bass, bluegill, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed.
Source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
