Laurel Lake Fishing Guides
A small glacial kettle lake on Long Island's North Fork, one of the few genuine freshwater lakes on the island and a quiet largemouth and pickerel fishery.
Guides on the Laurel Lake
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About the Laurel Lake
Laurel Lake is a genuine rarity: a true freshwater kettle lake on Long Island, in a landscape where almost all the still water is either brackish, tidal or man-made. It was left behind by the retreating Wisconsin ice sheet, it sits in a deep bowl surrounded by preserved woodland between Mattituck and Riverhead, and it is fed by groundwater rather than by any significant inflowing stream. That groundwater feed is what gives it its character, keeping it unusually clear and deep for its modest surface area and holding water quality that the surrounding farmland and vineyards might otherwise have ruined. A substantial part of the shoreline is protected open space, which is why it still fishes well.
Largemouth bass are the main quarry and the reason local anglers know the lake, holding along the drop-offs where the sandy shelf falls away into the deeper middle and around the limited weed and timber cover. Chain pickerel are abundant, often larger than the pond’s size suggests, and are the most willing fish here through the colder months. Yellow perch and white perch school through the mid-depths, black crappie hold around what structure there is, and bluegill fill the shallows. Bullhead feed along the bottom after dark and American eel are present, having found their way in through the groundwater-connected wetlands. The lake is small enough to fish thoroughly from a canoe or kayak in a morning.
The gauge reports lake elevation rather than any flow series, which for a groundwater-fed kettle lake is the single most meaningful measurement available. The level moves slowly and reflects the regional water table rather than recent rain, so the trace is a useful long-run indicator: a sustained decline through a dry year lowers the whole shelf and shrinks the shallow weed cover the bass and bluegill use, while a recovery pushes that cover back out.
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The photo at the top of this page is not Laurel Lake.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
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Landscape, not fish — the water itself. Reviewed by hand before it appears. The first one published here earns the Pioneer badge.
Pool right now
- 24 hours0.00 ft → steady
Reading taken 58 min ago at USGS 01304250, LAUREL LAKE NEAR MATTITUCK NY. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
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Access
Laurel - the hamlet on the lake's southern side and the gauge locality.
Mattituck - the nearest North Fork village for food, fuel and supplies.
Riverhead - the larger town fifteen minutes west, with tackle and lodging.
The preserved shoreline - the protected county and town woodland that covers much of the bank and keeps the lake clean.
The northern drop-off - the shelf edge falling into the deeper basin and the most consistent bass holding.
Peconic Bay - the saltwater immediately south, the obvious alternative for striped bass and weakfish.
The Peconic River - the nearby freshwater river at Riverhead, a short and useful second option.
Seasons
Spring: the strongest season, with largemouth bass moving onto the shallow shelf and pickerel feeding aggressively.
Summer: busy on the North Fork and best fished early, with bass holding on the drop-off and bluegill thick in the shallows.
Fall: very good and much quieter, with bass and pickerel feeding hard and the perch schooling tightly.
Winter: the lake can ice over in a cold spell, and pickerel and perch are the realistic targets when it does not.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Laurel Lake?
Anglers target American Eel, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Bullhead, Chain Pickerel, Largemouth Bass, White Perch, Yellow Perch on the Laurel Lake in New York.
Where can you access the Laurel Lake?
Laurel - the hamlet on the lake's southern side and the gauge locality. Mattituck - the nearest North Fork village for food, fuel and supplies. Riverhead - the larger town fifteen minutes west, with tackle and lodging. The preserved shoreline - the protected county and town woodland that covers much of the bank and keeps the lake clean. The northern drop-off - the shelf edge falling into the deeper basin and the most consistent bass holding. Peconic Bay - the saltwater immediately south, the obvious alternative for striped bass and weakfish. The Peconic River - the nearby freshwater river at R...
When is the best time to fish the Laurel Lake?
Spring: the strongest season, with largemouth bass moving onto the shallow shelf and pickerel feeding aggressively. Summer: busy on the North Fork and best fished early, with bass holding on the drop-off and bluegill thick in the shallows. Fall: very good and much quieter, with bass and pickerel feeding hard and the perch schooling tightly. Winter: the lake can ice over in a cold spell, and pickerel and perch are the realistic targets when it does not.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Laurel Lake?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the New York agency site: https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/freshwater-fishing/regulations