Long Island lakes and ponds stocked with trout, bass, perch and more
Avid angler Christopher Kelly, 9, of Massapequa Park creates a silent ripple effect as he fishes for yellow perch at Mill Pond in Wantagh. Credit: Linda Karlin
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 in 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 POND, 6-acre pond in Hewlett; bass, bluegill, carp, American eel.
HEMPSTEAD LAKE, 167 acres in West Hempstead; includes bass, pickerel, perch, crappie, bluegill, carp, pumpkinseed.
MASSAPEQUA LAKE (also known as Caroons Lake), 40 acres in Massapequa Preserve; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, bluegill, pumpkinseed, carp, white and yellow perch, bullhead.
MASSAPEQUA RESERVOIR, 20 acres; stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March and April and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, American eel, carp, pumpkinseed, bluegill and bullhead.
MCDONALD POND, 1 acre in Hempstead Lake State Park. Stocked with rainbow trout in fall; largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed and others.
OYSTER BAY MILL POND, 20 acres at West Shore Road and Lake Avenue, Oyster Bay; stocked with rainbow and brown trout in spring and brown trout in the fall; has largemouth bass, brown bullhead and others.
SMITH POND, 19 acres in Rockville Centre; bass, pickerel, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, carp and others.
SOUTH POND, 19 acres in Hempstead Lake State Park, directly across from McDonald Pond, has largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, sunfish, yellow perch; stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout in the fall.
UPPER TWIN POND, 20 acres between Wantagh Parkway and Old Mill Road, Wantagh. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in spring and brown trout in the fall; has black crappie, largemouth bass, carp, bluegill, brown bullhead, American eel, pumpkinseed and others.
WANTAGH MILL POND, 15 acres west of Wantagh State Parkway on north side of Merrick Road; perch, largemouth bass, brown bullhead, American eel, pumpkinseed and others.
SUFFOLK
ARGYLE LAKE, 25 acres at Carlls River, Babylon. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March and brown trout in the fall; largemouth bass, yellow perch, sunfish, others. No boats.
ARTIST LAKE, 30-acre kettle hole in Middle Island, no boats except canoes or hand-carried boats; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappie, perch.
BELMONT LAKE, 19 acres at state park, no private boats, park rents boats for fishing. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March; largemouth bass, bluegill, carp, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed, yellow perch.
BIG REED POND, 45 acres at Montauk County Park; largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, white perch.
CANAAN LAKE, 26-acre, man-made lake, north end of Ohls Street, North Patchogue; largemouth bass, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed.
CARLLS RIVER, Babylon. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March, brown trout in May and brown trout in the fall; has 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 and rainbow trout in March and April, brown trout in 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; includes largemouth bass, pickerel, carp, brown bullhead, crappie, perch, pumpkinseed, bluegill.
FORT POND, 181 acres in Montauk; bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, walleye, perch, carp.
FRESH POND, 35 acres in Montauk; bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed.
FRESH POND, 15 acres on Shelter Island; bass, bluegill, carp, pumpkinseed.
GREAT POND, 50 acres in Southold; largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, crappie, yellow 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, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead (no private boats, rentals only).
HOOK POND, 64 acres in East Hampton; largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead.
KAHLERS POND, 13 acres in East Moriches, north of Merrick Road. Stocked with rainbow trout in March, brown trout in fall; has bass and chain pickerel, yellow perch, carp, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill.
LAKE RONKONKOMA, 243-acre glacial kettle hole; 65 feet at deepest. Includes bass, bluegill, carp, brown bullhead, crappie, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, walleye. Boats permitted, launched from DEC boat launch. No gas motors
LAUREL LAKE, 30 acres north of Route 25 in Laurel. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in April; has bass, bluegill, perch, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed.
MARRATOOKA POND, 26 acres in Mattituck; largemouth bass, bluegill, perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead.
MILLERS POND, 21 acres in Smithtown; largemouth bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead, sunfish.
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.
POXABOGUE POND, 44 acres in Bridgehampton; bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed. No boats.
RANDALL POND, 4 acres north of Middle Country Road in Ridge; bass, bluegill, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed. Hand-launched boats 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; largemouth bass, sunfish.
SEARS AND BELLOWS PONDS, Hampton Bays; largemouth bass, chain pickerel, bluegill.
SOUTHARDS POND, 19 acres in Babylon. Stocked with rainbow and brown trout in March and brown trout in the fall; has largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, carp, pickerel. No boats
STUMP POND, (also known as Blydenburgh Lake) 100 acres in Blydenburgh County Park in Smithtown. Largemouth bass, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead, bluegill, black crappie, common carp.
SWAN (EAST) LAKE, 30 acres north of Montauk Highway in East Patchogue. Stocked with rainbow, brown trout in April; has largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, brown bullhead. Hand launched boats are allowed
SWAN POND, 57 acres in Calverton; chained pickerel, bluegill, bass, yellow perch, brown bullhead, crappie, pumpkinseed. Boats and electric trolling motors are allowed
TWIN PONDS, 5 acres of Betty Allen Nature Preserve, Route 25A, Centerport. Stocked with brown and rainbow trout in March and brown trout in the fall. No boats. Bluegill, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass.
UPPER MILLS POND, 60-acre body downstream from Forge Pond in Calverton; includes largemouth bass, chain pickerel, black crappie, brown bullhead, perch, carp, pumpkinseed, bluegill. Hand launched boats are allowed
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 and brown trout in the fall; includes largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, brown bullhead.
WILDWOOD LAKE, 64 acres in Northampton. Includes 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
