Essex, NY Fishing: Angling Along Historic Places

Get a taste of scenic and historical Essex, NY, with equally fantastic fishing opportunities for anglers like you.

Essex, NY Fishing: Angling Along Historic Places
Essex, NY Fishing: Angling Along Historic Places
Team Guidesly

July 29, 2021, 7 min read

Updated on July 30, 2021

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The stunning city of Essex is nestled in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains along the shore of Lake Champlain. Situated in Essex County, New York, Essex houses some of the most unspoiled ensembles of Federal and Greek Revival village architecture in rural America. 

Dating back to 1530, when the first Europeans contacted California, the area on the Western shores of Lake Champlain was inhabited by the Mohawk people of the Iroquois confederacy. Essex was part of a land grant given by King Louis XV of France to Joseph Robart. However, it was then lost after the British took over the region after 1763. The town was then formed in 1805 as a part of Willsboro town. Today, Essex is known for its stunning view and rich historical heritage. 

Essex not only immerses people in the rich heritage and soothing rhythms of pre-Civil War days, but it also offers great adventure and opportunity to anglers looking for their next destination. So, if you are an angler looking for your next angling location, Essex might be the town for you.

 

Essex Fishing

The beautiful town of Essex is made up of 6.0 sq. miles of water that offers great angling opportunities. Depending on the season and the fish species you want to land on, there will always be a spot for you.

To start off is the place where Essex nestles - the Adirondack Park. The Adirondack Park is part of New York’s Forest Preserve in northeastern New York. The park is chock-full of different places that people could visit for paddling, boating, and fishing. From grand lakes to pristine ponds, it offers visitors an experience that will make them come back for more. 

One fishing spot inside the park is the Ausable River. Ausable forms a partial boundary between Clinton and Essex County and is known for its gorge, Ausable Chasm. The 94-mile long river is a great fly fishing spot in the Adirondacks. Its main stem is home to a mixture of brown trout and rainbow trout. Anglers can best experience fishing for trout from Ausable Chasm to Clintonville. Meanwhile, the lower main stem of the river, located from Ausable Chasm to Lake Champlain, is home to an abundant number of landlocked salmon, especially during late April and mid-May.

Paradox Lake is another fishing location inside the Adirondack that is home to a large population of species. The deep and cool water of the lake favors different species of trout such as the rainbow trout and lake trout which often nestle in the western basin. The lake is also home to largemouth bass, which nestle in the waters around The Narrows, and for smallmouth bass, which is mostly found on the rocky islands and shoals throughout the lake. 

Brook trout fishing is one of the reasons why anglers visit the Adirondack Park. However, there are other more different lakes and ponds that are situated in this park- each offering different fishing seasonality. So, if you are a first-time visitor in Essex, here are the things you need to know in selecting a waterbody to fish, when to fish and what fishing techniques to use when fishing for brook trout.

The water bodies in Adirondack Park are situated in different areas, each accessible through different trails. Some ponds require long hiking routes while others can be found along the roads. In addition, the shoreline of most of the ponds are difficult to access. Thus, a lightweight canoe, float tube, or kayak will be very helpful. 

In choosing the area to fish, anglers must take note of the amount of available cover as well as the shape of the lake basin and its inlets and outlets. Putting attention to these details would be very helpful when you are fishing for brook trout. This is because they usually tuck themselves under the edges of bogs and underneath logs where they can be protected from predators. The best time to catch this species would be on days when the water temperature and light levels are low, such as early or late in the day, or during cloudy weather. However, there are times when the cold weather of spring and fall would be the best aging time of the year as trout are active and hungry. Some of the best fishing techniques used in brook trout fishing are spinning and spin casting, and fly fishing.

Moving forward to another fishing location in Essex would be the Lower Boquet River. The bouquet river is a 40-mile long river that passes through the town of Essex. It offers excellent and easy to access areas to anglers of all ages, making it a hot spot for traveling anglers.

The Boquet River is known for its Atlantic Salmon running through its water stream as it migrates up the river during the spring and fall season. The lower part of the river, especially, offers the best fishing spot to catch landlocked salmon during these seasons. This is because salmon do not progress past the rapid waters.

The Lower Boquet River is the best fishing spot to catch landlocked salmon during spring and fall. This is because during spring, salmon do not progress past the rapid waters or the fishways. The best angling spot in the lower Bouquet would be the larger pool beside the ledges and down to round the bend as the water in this area starts to flatten out and becomes slow. The best way to access this area of the river is through a small boat or canoe. However, first-time anglers must be aware of the fishing regulations in this area as there is a marked boundary where angling is prohibited.

Last on the list, but definitely not any less than the first two fishing locations, is Lake Champlain. Lake Chaplain has a shoreline of more than 500 miles and depth up to 400 feet, which leaves an angler plenty of room to fish. Likewise, it houses over 80 species of fish which offers anglers a different kind of experience. 

Lake Champlain is most famous for its lake monster. However, it is also known as one of the top bass fisheries in the nation. Because of its fine waters, the Bassmaster Tournament Series consistently ranks Lake Champlain in its list of 100 bass fisheries. This includes the quantity, quality, and even the scenic views the lake offers. But, what makes it a hotspot for anglers is that every day of the year is a great time to fish - may it be during winters, springs, summers, and even falls! Anglers can also find the Essex County Fish Hatchery in Crown Point, which is open to the public. 

There are several fishing techniques to choose from when angling in Champlain. One could use bait and tackle and fly fishing. Due to its vast shoreline, shore fishing is also an option. Lastly, you won’t go home empty-handed when ice fishing during winters.

 

Top 10 Fish Species in Essex, NY

The top 10 fish species in Essex, NY are the Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, lake trout, smallmouth bass, brown trout, brook trout, northern pike, black bass, walleye.

Essex Seasonal Fishing

Essex offers a lot of angling opportunities because of the many fishing locations it offers. Because of this, fishing in Essex is open year-round, especially for northern pike, salmon pickerel, and trout species. For species like walleye and sauger, fishing on the first Saturday of May to March 15 would be the best time. Meanwhile, the second Saturday of June to November 30 would be the best season for black bass. In certain months, a catch-and-release-only policy is observed if the fish does not reach a minimum length.

Aside from these moths, anglers should also be wary of New York fishing guidelines. One example of this is the free fishing days during the last full weekend of June. 

 

There is More to Fishing in Essex

 

1. Fishing Charters

Fishing the Essex waters can be quite intimidating, so if you want to maximize your fishing experience, booking a charter with a guide who knows the water body inside out will be to your benefit.

 

2. Cycle Through Scenic Views and Historical Place

Your trip to Essex will not be complete without the magnificent views of both Vermont and Adirondack High Peaks. With smooth roads and moderate hills, you will enjoy cycling along the Whallons Bay Road. Likewise, you should not miss the popular bike route along with the historic places in Essex. The Walker Road traverses from the historic Hamlet to Dogwood Bakery in Wadhams.

 

3. Hike

Do you prefer walking than biking? Worry no more because Essex offers you many opportunities to access small mountains, forests, and fields through the Champlain Area Trails. 

Fish in Essex and beyond.