Lake Bonaparte Fishing
A 1,416-acre New York lake in Lewis County.
Pick for brown troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo, nearby stand in for Lake Bonaparte: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0
Lake Bonaparte: size, place and access
Lake Bonaparte is a lake of about 1,416 acres, its outline lying in Lewis County. DEC files the shoreline owner as DEC. Head to Natural Bridge, some 8 miles away, for food and fuel. It falls in DEC Region Western Adirondacks and Eastern Lake Ontario.
Fish on the DEC list here: brown trout, lake trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and black crappie. There are 1 mapped launch on its shore. The DEC list describes the launch as trailer improved. Its ice entry reads ice fishing permitted. DEC stocking lists show releases in 15 separate years since 2011.
NYS Hydrography (NHD) outline, DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds, Census places, retrieved October 24, 2026.
For the brown trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Fish DEC has found in Lake Bonaparte
DEC sources tie these fish to Lake Bonaparte; more species surely swim there.
DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds species column, DEC stocking lists and state records, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Launches on Lake Bonaparte
- Sand Bay State Forest Launchhard surface ramp, 14 car-and-trailer spaces, toilets; managed by DEC
More boat launches near Lake Bonaparte
- Fort Drum Military Installation LaunchIndian Lake, 3 miles west
- Onjebonge State Forest LaunchIndian River, 6 miles southwest
- Public Launch on Sylvia LakeSylvia Lake, 7 miles north
- Public Launch on Oswegatchie River near Edwards (south)Oswegatchie River, 13 miles northeast
- Public Launch on Sucker LakeSucker Lake, 13 miles east
- Public Launch on Oswegatchie River near Edwards (north)Oswegatchie River, 14 miles northeast
DEC boat launch and fishing access layers, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Seasons and creel rules at Lake Bonaparte
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Lake trout | 3; minimum 21" | Apr 1 – Oct 15 |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass (Jun 15 to Nov 30) | 5; minimum 12" | Jun 15 – Nov 30 |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass (Dec 1 to Jun 14) | No harvest; Catch and release only | Dec 1 – Jun 14 |
| Muskellunge | 1; minimum 40" | Jun 1 – Nov 30 |
| Tiger muskellunge | 1; minimum 30" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Northern pike | 5; minimum 18" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Chain pickerel | 5; minimum 15" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Walleye | 5; minimum 15" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Black and white crappie | 25; minimum 10" | All year |
| Yellow perch | 50 | All year |
| Sunfish | 25 | All year |
| American eel | 25; minimum 9" | All year |
Statewide DEC limits govern Lake Bonaparte wherever a county rule below does not replace them.
Where Lake Bonaparte departs from statewide rules
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season | Listed under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | 3; minimum 18" | All year | Lewis County |
2026 DEC freshwater fishing regulations (statewide table effective April 1, 2026); county special regulations from the DEC region pages; retrieved October 24, 2026, figures checked against the DEC pages October 25, 2026.
What DEC puts in Lake Bonaparte
DEC stocked Lake Bonaparte 6 times in 2023 to 2026; brown trout top the count.
| Year | Species | Type | Entries | Fish | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Brown Trout | planned spring 2026 | 1 | 3,060 | 8 inches |
| 2025 | Brown Trout | stocked | 1 | 3,030 | 8.1 in |
| 2025 | Lake Trout | stocked | 1 | 1,870 | 6.8 in |
| 2024 | Brown Trout | stocked | 1 | 3,090 | 8.7 in |
| 2024 | Lake Trout | stocked | 1 | 1,570 | 6.7 in |
| 2023 | Brown Trout | stocked | 1 | 2,890 | 7.9 in |
DEC Fish Stocking Lists (Actual), 2023 to 2025, and DEC Current Season Spring Trout Stocking, 2026 (data.ny.gov), retrieved October 24, 2026. New York stocking.
Comparing Lake Bonaparte with nearby water
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | DEC species | Stocked 2023-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Bonaparte | 1,416 | 1 | 7 | yes | |
| Green Pond, Lewis County | 1 mile east | 24 | 0 | 0 | yes |
| Sylvia Lake | 7 miles north | 318 | 1 | 1 | yes |
| Sucker Lake | 14 miles east | 90 | 1 | 0 | yes |
| Clear Pond, Lewis County | 14 miles southeast | 9 | 1 | 0 | yes |
| Rock Pond, Lewis County | 15 miles southeast | 19 | 1 | 0 | yes |
NYS Hydrography, DEC launch layers, DEC lake list and stocking lists, retrieved October 24, 2026.
A few miles from Lake Bonaparte
New York lakes in the Lake Bonaparte area
- Green Pond, Lewis County1 mile east
- Sylvia Lake7 miles north
- Sucker Lake14 miles east
- Clear Pond, Lewis County14 miles southeast
- Rock Pond, Lewis County15 miles southeast
Shops worth a stop en route to Lake Bonaparte
- Lake Of The Woods Waterway Accessmarina, Jefferson, 20 miles
- Millsite Lake Fishing Accessmarina, Jefferson, 22 miles
- Butterfield Lake Waterway Accessmarina, Jefferson, 22 miles
Towns handy for Lake Bonaparte trips
- Gouverneur13 miles
- Philadelphia16 miles
- Carthage16 miles
Counties along Lake Bonaparte
- Lewis Countycounty seat Lowville
Piscifun picks for fishing Lake Bonaparte
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
Shores, kills and lakes by Lake Bonaparte, pictured
Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, CC BY-SA 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: TheTurducken, CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Photo: Marc Wanner, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Idawriter, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Lake Bonaparte, asked and answered for Empire State anglers
Which New York county is Lake Bonaparte in?
Find it in Lewis County, DEC Western Adirondacks and Eastern Lake Ontario, about 8 miles from Natural Bridge.
How wide a footprint does Lake Bonaparte have?
1,416 acres, give or take.
Which launch site sits closest to Lake Bonaparte?
1 mapped launch on file, Sand Bay State Forest Launch among them.
Does Lake Bonaparte hold bass or trout?
DEC files list brown trout, lake trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, black crappie and northern pike.
Which DEC rules cover Lake Bonaparte?
Largemouth and smallmouth bass (Jun 15 to Nov 30): 5; minimum 12"; Jun 15 – Nov 30. Special rules for it appear in the DEC region listing.
What is the out-of-state fee for angling at Lake Bonaparte?
Trout and salmon need no stamp in New York; the DEC freshwater license ($25.00 resident, $50.00 nonresident, $5.00 for residents 70 and older) covers them.
Does DEC stock Lake Bonaparte?
6 rows on the DEC lists, 2023 to 2026.
Which listed tackle counter is nearest Lake Bonaparte?
Lake Of The Woods Waterway Access sits about 20 miles from the water.
Does DEC permit ice fishing at Lake Bonaparte?
DEC notes Ice Fishing Permitted.
Hitch up and haul the boat to Lake Bonaparte
Every New York fee and season sits on one page.