Freshwater fishing: Ponds and lakes on Long Island ready for rods (2024)

For freshwater fishing, all you need is a basic, well-made fishing rod and appropriate bait. Here are some places on Long Island where you might try dropping a line — and an idea of what might be biting.

NASSAU

FOREST CITY PARK POND, 6-acre pond, Wantagh; largemouth bass, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill, American eel.

FREEPORT RESERVOIR, 18-acre pond; bass, carp, crappie, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill, American eel.

GRANT PARK POND, 6-acre pond, Hewlett; bass, bluegill, carp, American eel.No boats.

HEMPSTEAD LAKE, 167 acres, West Hempstead; bass, pickerel, perch, crappie, bluegill, carp, pumpkinseed.

MASSAPEQUA LAKE/CAROONS LAKE, 40 acres, Massapequa Preserve; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, bluegill, pumpkinseed, carp, white and yellow perch, bullhead.Boat permit needed.

MASSAPEQUA RESERVOIR, 20 acres; stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March,April and brown troutin the fall; largemouth bass, American eel, carp, pumpkinseed, bluegill, bullhead.No boats.

MCDONALD POND, 1 acre, Hempstead Lake State Park; stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout in fall; largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, bullhead.No boats.

OYSTER BAY MILL POND, 20 acres, West Shore Road and Lake Avenue, Oyster Bay; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring and brown trout in fall; largemouth bass, brown bullhead and others.No boats.

SMITH POND, 19 acres, Rockville Centre; bass, pickerel, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, carp and others.No boats.

SOUTH POND, 19 acres, Hempstead Lake State Park, directly across from McDonald Pond; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, sunfish, yellow perch, carp; stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout in the fall.No boats.

UPPER TWIN POND, 20 acres between Wantagh Parkway and Old Mill Road, Wantagh; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring andfall; black crappie, largemouth bass, carp, bluegill, brown bullhead, American eel, pumpkinseed and others.No boats.

WANTAGH MILL POND, 15 acres west of Wantagh State Parkway on north side of Merrick Road; perch, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, bluegill, American eel, pumpkinseed and others.No boats.

SUFFOLK

ARGYLE LAKE, 25 acres, Carlls River, Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, yellow perch, sunfish and others. No boats.

ARTIST LAKE, 30-acre kettle hole, Middle Island; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappie, perch and others.No boats except canoes or hand-carried boats.

BELMONT LAKE, 19 acres, Belmont Lake State Park, West Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in the spring; largemouth bass, bluegill, carp, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed, yellow perch.No private boats. Park rents boats for fishing.

BIG REED POND, 45 acres, Montauk County Park; largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, white perch.Hand-carry boat launch allowed.

CANAAN LAKE, 26-acrehuman-made lake, north end of Ohls Street, North Patchogue; rainbow trout in the spring andbrown trout in the fall;largemouth bass, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed.

CARLLS RIVER, Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March; carp, perch, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, bluegill, pumpkinseed.

CARMANS RIVER, Yaphank-Shirley, about 10 miles long, from near Route 25 to Great South Bay; stocked with brown trout in March, brown and rainbowtrout in April and May, brown trout in fall.

CONNETQUOT RIVER, 8 miles long, from Lakeland County Park to Great South Bay; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in May.

FORGE POND, 120 acres, South River Road, Calverton; largemouth bass, pickerel, carp, brown bullhead, crappie, perch, pumpkinseed, bluegill.Trailed boat and hand-carry boat launches are available.

FORT POND, 181 acres, Montauk; bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, walleye, perch, carp.Trailed boat launch allowed.

FRESH POND, 35 acres, Montauk; bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed.Hand-carry boat launch allowed.

FRESH POND, 15 acres, Shelter Island; bass, bluegill, carp, pumpkinseed.Hand-carry boat launch allowed.

GREAT POND, 50 acres, Southold; largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, crappie, yellow perch, bluegill.Town of Southold parking permit required.

HARDS LAKE, 30 acres, Southaven County Park, Brookhaven; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March and April, brown in May; largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead. No private boats; rentals only.

HOOK POND, 64 acres, East Hampton; largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead.Village of East Hampton parking permit required.

KAHLERS POND, 13 acres, East Moriches, north of Merrick Road; stocked with rainbow trout in March, brown trout in fall; bass, chain pickerel, yellow perch, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill.Hand launched boats are allowed.

LAKE RONKONKOMA, 243-acre glacial kettle hole; 65 feet at deepest; bass, bluegill, carp, brown bullhead, crappie, pumpkinseed, perch,chain pickerel, walleye. Boats permitted, launched from DEC boat launch. No gas motors.

LAUREL LAKE, 30 acres north of Route 25; Laurel; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in April; bass, bluegill, perch, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed.

MARRATOOKA POND, 26 acres, Mattituck; largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead.

MILLERS POND, 21 acres, Smithtown; largemouth bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead, sunfish. No boats.

NISSEQUOGUE RIVER, about 8 miles long from Hauppauge to the Sound; stocked with brown trout in March-April and rainbow trout in April and brown trout in the fall.

PATCHOGUE LAKE, 40 acres; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, crappie, brown bullhead, yellow perch.Hand launched boats are allowed.

POXABOGUE POND, 44 acres, Village of Sagaponack; bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed. No boats.

RANDALL POND, 4 acres north of Middle Country Road, Ridge; bass, bluegill, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed. Hand-launched boats allowed.

RATTLESNAKE CREEK, Oakdale,tidal waters south of Montauk Highway; stocked with rainbow trout in May.

SAYVILLE MILL POND, 6 acres, Montauk Highway and Mill Pond Road; largemouth bass, sunfish.Hand launched boats are allowed.

SEARS AND BELLOWS PONDS, Hampton Bays; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, bluegill. Park rents rowboats.

SOUTHARDS POND, 19 acres, Babylon; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, carp, pickerel. No boats.

STUMP POND/BLYDENBURGH LAKE, 100 acres, Blydenburgh County Park, Smithtown; largemouth bass, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill, black crappie, common carp.Hand launched boats are allowed.

SWAN (EAST) LAKE, 30 acres north of Montauk Highway, East Patchogue; stocked with rainbow, brown trout in April; largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, brown bullhead. Hand-launched boats are allowed.

SWAN POND, 57 acres, Calverton; chained pickerel, bluegill, bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead, crappie, pumpkinseed. Boats and electric trolling motors are allowed.

TWIN PONDS, 5 acres, Betty Allen Nature Preserve, Route 25A, Centerport; stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March and brown trout in the fall; bluegill, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass. No boats.

UPPER MILLS POND, 60-acre body downstream from Forge Pond, Calverton; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, brown bullhead, perch, carp, pumpkinseed, bluegill. Hand-launched boats are allowed.

WEST LAKE, 20 acres,just north of Montauk Highway and west of Waverly Avenue,Patchogue; stocked with brown trout in March, brown and rainbow trout in April and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead. Hand-launched boats are allowed.

WILDWOOD LAKE, 64 acres, Northampton; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed, perch, brown bullhead, rock bass. Town of Southampton residents only. Nonresidents can fish with a town-licensed guide.

Source: State Department of Environmental Conservation