Calling All Who Are Good At Deciphering Topo Maps! 2024
Weld's Largemouth reply :
Hey!
I'm looking to fish this lake here on Long Island, NY. Its the biggest lake on the island, and its a super deep kettle hole with not a lot of structure.
What are your thoughts?
Here is the map: http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/lkronkmap.pdf
And here is the info about the lake:
Lake Ronkonkoma Fishing Information
Formed by ancient glaciers, Lake Ronkonkoma is the largest and perhaps best known of Long Island's freshwater lakes. Portions of its irregular basin are unusually deep for Long Island (65 feet), but most of the lake is less than 15 feet deep.
As a rule of thumb, it is unproductive to fish deeper than 15 feet in Lake Ronkonkoma because there is seldom enough dissolved oxygen to sustain fish beyond this depth. The primary gamefish are largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Lake Ronkonkoma holds large bass, but locating them is a challenge due to the scarcity of natural structure to attract these fish. Stumps have been placed into the lake for habitat enhancement (see below). Chain pickerel are extremely rare.
In the last two decades, white perch and yellow perch populations have increased to the point of upsetting the ecological balance of the lake. To control these species, the DEC began stocking walleye in 1994. Walleye over 27 inches long can be caught and provide a good targeted fishery. For more information on this species see the walleye fact sheet. (* 118 KB pdf file) Lake Ronkonkoma also contains sunfish and crappie though large specimens are not common.
Lake Ronkonkoma Bass Habitat Enhancement ProjectOn a frosty December 2002 morning, a crowd of anglers, conservation professionals and curious onlookers cheered as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter from the New York Army National Guard airlifted over 150 weighted hardwood tree stumps and dropped them into Lake Ronkonkoma. This seemingly odd activity was part of a project to construct submerged reefs. The stumps sink to the bottom of the lake, where they provide fish with places to feed, rest and hide. The project was completed via a partnership among DEC, DOT, the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs, the Long Island Bassmasters and the Suffolk County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation.
Fishing is an important recreational activity at Lake Ronkonkoma. A DEC study conducted during the summer of 2000 estimated that anglers spent more than 13,000 hours fishing at the lake between May and October. For several years, DEC fisheries staff and members of the Bassmasters wanted to supplement scarce fish habitat and improve fishing in the lake but had no practical means of moving the extremely heavy stumps.
The solution was GuardHELP, the New York National Guard's community support program, which links the Guard's training requirements to community needs across New York State. The Lake Ronkonkoma project provided an opportunity for troops based at MacArthur Airport to train in slingload operations--a necessary skill for Blackhawk aviators and crews. Instead of merely moving objects around at a military installation, crews received training while simultaneously providing a service to the people of Long Island.
Physical Features:
Click to open 269 KB PDF
Area: 243 acres
Maximum depth: 65 feet
Largemouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass
Chain Pickerel
Bluegill
Pumpkinseed
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
White Perch
Carp
Brown Bullhead
MassBass reply :
I like the steep breaks on the south/southwest side. But its just speculation better to get on- the- water experience with it.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/26/2015 at 8:33 AM, MassBass said:I like the steep breaks on the south/southwest side. But its just speculation better to get on- the- water experience with it.
True, I haven't caught anything there before so I'll have to do some exploring
Crappiebasser reply :
Those 26 and 30' holes on the north end look interesting too. If I were a pre spawn bass run off the flats by a cold front that's where I'd go.
Sam reply :
Topo maps may not be up to date but they will give you an idea of the contour above and below the water.
Please use the topo map as a guide with the understanding that things do change and what was there last year may not be there this year.
Regarding your query I would think it is important to add to your equation the water temperature and water clarity.
If the bass are in prespawn they act differently than in post spawn or in the summer months.
With the big blizzard heading your way I would think water temperatures will be dropping into the 30 degree area so you need to prepare for cold water starting with a jerkbait.
Hope you are ready for the storm that will hit you tomorrow, Monday, January 26th and into Tuesday.
Be safe and stay home and watch bass fishing DVD's.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/26/2015 at 8:37 AM, Crappiebasser said:Those 26 and 30' holes on the north end look interesting too. If I were a pre spawn bass run off the flats by a cold front that's where I'd go.
The only issue with these deep spots is: "...there is seldom enough dissolved oxygen to sustain fish beyond this depth"
But who knows if this is actually true? It could be, there is literally no structure or anything down there...
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/26/2015 at 8:44 AM, Sam said:Topo maps may not be up to date but they will give you an idea of the contour above and below the water.
Please use the topo map as a guide with the understanding that things do change and what was there last year may not be there this year.
Regarding your query I would think it is important to add to your equation the water temperature and water clarity.
If the bass are in prespawn they act differently than in post spawn or in the summer months.
With the big blizzard heading your way I would think water temperatures will be dropping into the 30 degree area so you need to prepare for cold water starting with a jerkbait.
Hope you are ready for the storm that will hit you tomorrow, Monday, January 26th and into Tuesday.
Be safe and stay home and watch bass fishing DVD's.
I shall, and yes this blizzard is going to be awful but It would cancel my midterms 
Also, I'm not fishing anytime soon, the lake is frozen until spring, but then jerkbaits will have their time to shine!
HoosierHawgs reply :
That area where it is 3' then 7' then 13' and 16' looks interesting. It may provide a good shallow feeding area for bass, w/the ability to escape to deeper water. That's where I would concentrate my efforts at first. If I'm fishing a foreign lake im gonna cover water, and im gonna start shallow. That's my thinking.
aavery2 reply :
On 1/26/2015 at 8:44 AM, Weld said:The only issue with these deep spots is: "...there is seldom enough dissolved oxygen to sustain fish beyond this depth"
But who knows if this is actually true? It could be, there is literally no structure or anything down there...
The breaklines from the 26ft deep water all the way up to the 3 ft water are your structure.
Crappiebasser reply :
I'm sure you can speak on Carters Lake GA more than I can but I have caught fish there in the summer suspended in 80-100'. Those fish don't seem to care about the rule of thumb.
papajoe222 reply :
Funny how my eyes went directly to that point . That area of the lake should be a producer year round the south-east side should hold fish duing the colder months with the sharp drop off and the north west side has a 'cove' at the end that gives access to both points for pre and post spawners. Summertime would likely find a good concentration of fish using the deep water off the east end as their summer home. Depending on bottom composition, the smallies could be attracted to the hump just south east of it. All this is assuming that there is forage and some form of cover in the area.
Fish'N Impossible reply :
its possible to catch them deeper than that yet. it has to do with the water clarity and Carters is very clear. If your water is clear you can support more algea and photoplankton at deeper depths and they are responsible for most of the Dissolved Oxygen(DO) in the water columns.
Fish'N Impossible reply :
Doing the research on Lake Ronkonkoma it tends to be of good clarity so this will allow for photosynthesis to occur at greater depths, which allows an increase in Oxygen production and permits this lake to maintain good Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels past the Thermocline. Another property of the lake that helps it maintain a good DO level is the fact the water turns solid in the winter. Although this decreases photosynthesis during the winter it permits the water to fully turn twice a year driving DO into deeper portions of the lake making it actually quite plausible to fish those deep holes early spring due to the DO from the surface water rolling down deep. As the year continues, however, and heat rises the lake will stratify again with a Thermocline and a Chemocline. Depending on clarity this lake should be good to fish a little below the Thermocline but fishing will die out at the Chemocline. Based on what I have read during the research I would “guess” that during the summer months the Chemocline will form at around 17’ to 20’ ultimately killing the fishing at any depth past that. So as far as Oxygen levels and depths I hope that kind of answers your question.
shanksmare reply :
Weld when the ice goes out and Spring comes to Long Island, I would concentrate my efforts in the Northern and Northeastern areas of the lake. The prevailing warm weather direction there is from the SW , so the NE section of the lake warms up first. I would forsake the deeper areas of the lake and concentrate my efforts in the shallows (a shallow fish is an active fish). I would concentrate my efforts around anything that changes - edges of weeds, sandy bottom to gravel, lily pads, docks, fallen trees, limbs in the water, shallow dropoffs, etc. I'd use reaction baits as search baits and a worm or jig for high probability areas. If you are shore bound it may be difficult because of houses and trespassing issues. Good luck - have fun and stay warm this winter.
Catt reply :
Portion Road area where it runs 8-10', forget anything beyond 15' according to DEC fisheries.
scaleface reply :
On the northeast side of the 65 foot holes are some flats with interesting contours , that is most appealing to me . That 13 foot mark makes some good " zags " there .
scaleface reply :
On 1/26/2015 at 7:05 PM, Catt said:Portion Road area
I dont know what this means.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/26/2015 at 5:46 PM, Fish said:Doing the research on Lake Ronkonkoma it tends to be of good clarity so this will allow for photosynthesis to occur at greater depths, which allows an increase in Oxygen production and permits this lake to maintain good Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels past the Thermocline. Another property of the lake that helps it maintain a good DO level is the fact the water turns solid in the winter. Although this decreases photosynthesis during the winter it permits the water to fully turn twice a year driving DO into deeper portions of the lake making it actually quite plausible to fish those deep holes early spring due to the DO from the surface water rolling down deep. As the year continues, however, and heat rises the lake will stratify again with a Thermocline and a Chemocline. Depending on clarity this lake should be good to fish a little below the Thermocline but fishing will die out at the Chemocline. Based on what I have read during the research I would “guess” that during the summer months the Chemocline will form at around 17’ to 20’ ultimately killing the fishing at any depth past that. So as far as Oxygen levels and depths I hope that kind of answers your question.
Thank you! Very useful info!
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/26/2015 at 6:58 PM, shanksmare said:Weld when the ice goes out and Spring comes to Long Island, I would concentrate my efforts in the Northern and Northeastern areas of the lake. The prevailing warm weather direction there is from the SW , so the NE section of the lake warms up first. I would forsake the deeper areas of the lake and concentrate my efforts in the shallows (a shallow fish is an active fish). I would concentrate my efforts around anything that changes - edges of weeds, sandy bottom to gravel, lily pads, docks, fallen trees, limbs in the water, shallow dropoffs, etc. I'd use reaction baits as search baits and a worm or jig for high probability areas. If you are shore bound it may be difficult because of houses and trespassing issues. Good luck - have fun and stay warm this winter.
Thank you! Ill definitely target those areas! And ill be in a boat so that helps a ton. Ill be sure to be bundled up.. Looks like were getting at minimum 20" of snow here on long island in the next day.
Rented Mule reply :
You did ask for thoughts, here's mine.
Forget about the lake contours unless you have some good electronics and are well versed at reading deep water, otherwise, you're wasting your time. Forget about the dissolved oxygen, plankton, thermocline, gamma rays, sun spots or anything else. Get a good copy of the lake map, then fold it up and put it somewhere where you can't find it.
Tie on a spinnerbait a crankbait or a jig, put your trolling motor in the water & just go around the lake & use your eyes. It's only a couple hundred acres. That will tell you more about the lake than any map ever could. My first instinct would to be to find out what the forage base is in the lake. That shouldn't be too difficult.
I'd start in the north end where the feeder creek comes in, and it looks like there's several hundred feet of an old abandoned pier with rubble in the water.
In the northeast corner, looks like there are plenty of downed trees along the bank. I'd spend a whole day just in the northeast corner.
And even though I wouldn't even bother fishing more than 10-12' deep, I'd certainly keep my eyes open for bird / fish activity out in the open water. Some of these bowl shaped lakes with little or no shoreline cover can be sleeper lakes for offshore schoolies.
good luck with it
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/26/2015 at 11:28 PM, Rented Mule said:You did ask for thoughts, here's mine.
Forget about the lake contours unless you have some good electronics and are well versed at reading deep water, otherwise, you're wasting your time. Forget about the dissolved oxygen, plankton, thermocline, gamma rays, sun spots or anything else. Get a good copy of the lake map, then fold it up and put it somewhere where you can't find it.
Tie on a spinnerbait a crankbait or a jig, put your trolling motor in the water & just go around the lake & use your eyes. It's only a couple hundred acres. That will tell you more about the lake than any map ever could. My first instinct would to be to find out what the forage base is in the lake. That shouldn't be too difficult.
I'd start in the north end where the feeder creek comes in, and it looks like there's several hundred feet of an old abandoned pier with rubble in the water.
In the northeast corner, looks like there are plenty of downed trees along the bank. I'd spend a whole day just in the northeast corner.
And even though I wouldn't even bother fishing more than 10-12' deep, I'd certainly keep my eyes open for bird / fish activity out in the open water. Some of these bowl shaped lakes with little or no shoreline cover can be sleeper lakes for offshore schoolies.
good luck with it
thanks! I won't have any electronics, but i will be on a boat with my search baits at the ready..
The lake has:
Bluegill
Pumpkinseed
Black Crappie
Yellow Perch
White Perch
Lipless crankbaits in perch colors are going to be key i think.
scaleface reply :
I cant decipher any roads , piers or rubble on the map. I am missing something .
Catt reply :
On 1/27/2015 at 12:21 AM, scaleface said:I cant decipher any roads , piers or rubble on the map. I am missing something .
I looked @ Acme Mapper 
bassindon reply :
Looks like a fun little pond to explore . It Shouldn't take long to learn. Without Electronics its hard to pin point or creap up on places without GPS. You can use the map and land marks and count your bait down is about it to find drops. Electronics and gps make life way better. Without them , just fish what you can see because you can't find what you can't see without them without spending a lot of time with primitive methods . GO have fun.
ClackerBuzz reply :
On 1/26/2015 at 11:59 PM, Weld said:I won't have any electronics
imo that answers the most important question and dictates your entire plan of attack.
a 3/4 jig and/or C-rig will be ur eye's and let you know when ur on/around rocks and weeds. make sure you have several marker buoys in the boat. kick a buoy overboard as soon as you catch a fish. you'll be amazed how fast you drift/get blown off a spot. buoys are cheap so i even let them in the water and come back to fish the spot an hour or two later. i've yet to have someone steal one. plus i don't mind if other boats fish them b/c they don't know the correct angle and either part their boat on top of the buoy or drop their lure right on top of it. i drop a buoy to mark deep weed beds and most guys scratch their heads wondering why a buoy is floating in the middle of 'nowhere'.
structure fishing is a whole new world so when the fish are beating me up I head for weeds. shallow weeds that break the surface are easiest but have smaller fish. after you get bored with the shallow weeds head to deeper weeds, eventually finding the deepest weeds in the lake. this is a good place to start looking for adult bass. ur heavy jig will bring back weeds from the depths. drag the jig from sediment until you feel the first snag of weeds and just let it sit there. someone will poke their nose out for a snack. deep weeds produce some of my best fish and provide a nice cross over from deep cover to structure type fishing. true topo map/structure fishing can often kick ur @s$ so it's nice to have a plan and be able to pick off the low hanging fruit. use the same drag method to go from sediment to rock. I work extremely fast as long as I'm feeling muddy/sediment but slow WAY down once i feel rocky heaven.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/27/2015 at 2:53 AM, Catt said:I looked @ Acme Mapper
All i see on Acme Mapper topo is 55 ft deep all around the lake lol... no rubble piles or any real depths
Team9nine reply :
That lake has a lot of structure. Immediately at ice-out, I'm starting my attack at the deep holes, of which there are 3 key areas (2 north, 1 SW, and the biggest area in the SE corner). I'm working the structure (points, breaklines, etc.) immediately adjacent to those holes, as well as the holes themselves, then slowly working shallower as the water warms. There is likely no oxygen issue at any depth unless you've had a prolonged winter (period of ice cover) with lots of snow. Even then, previous studies in mid-January show good oxygen to 50' depths. As soon as ice comes off, oxygen will return to those areas. Beginning around spawn time (Early May?), that is when the thermocline starts forming on this lake and oxygen starts becoming an issue in deeper water. From that point through the summer and into September, it's a 16' and less ballgame, give or take slightly. After Sept., the thermocline starts breaking up again and oxygen starts pushing deeper, so my tendency would be to start working deeper, also. You should really invest in a small depthfinder of some sort. Even these little portable wrist/castable gizmos they have out now will get you covered to know the basic location of the deep holes and the breaks leading into and away from them. For under $100, today's portable units will really help you out.
-T9
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/27/2015 at 4:54 AM, Team9nine said:That lake has a lot of structure. Immediately at ice-out, I'm starting my attack at the deep holes, of which there are 3 key areas (2 north, 1 SW, and the biggest area in the SE corner). I'm working the structure (points, breaklines, etc.) immediately adjacent to those holes, as well as the holes themselves, then slowly working shallower as the water warms. There is likely no oxygen issue at any depth unless you've had a prolonged winter (period of ice cover) with lots of snow. Even then, previous studies in mid-January show good oxygen to 50' depths. As soon as ice comes off, oxygen will return to those areas. Beginning around spawn time (Early May?), that is when the thermocline starts forming on this lake and oxygen starts becoming an issue in deeper water. From that point through the summer and into September, it's a 16' and less ballgame, give or take slightly. After Sept., the thermocline starts breaking up again and oxygen starts pushing deeper, so my tendency would be to start working deeper, also. You should really invest in a small depthfinder of some sort. Even these little portable wrist gizmos they have out now will get you covered to know the basic location of the deep holes and the breaks leading into and away from them. For under $100, today's portable units will really help you out.
-T9
Thanks T9 I will definitely follow these tactics, and yes spawn is early may and maybe i should invest in a depth finder....
RoLo reply :
I selected one inconspicuous 'trial site' near the ramp that would not have to deal with the anoxic zone:
COORDINATES: N40.82625 W73.12755
1) The selected site adjoins a broad 0 to 10-ft shelf that extends 300 ft offshore & stretches about 100 yd long.
2) In addition, the site is nestled in a fairly defined indentation in the 13-ft contour line.
(Land points are invaluable inasmuch as they increase shelf area, but 'inside turns' are more effective at aggregating fish)
3) In addition, the trial site offers a good slope between the 13 and 16 ft depth lines (1 ft drop per 11.5 ft)
(In many lakes this would be classed as a slow slope, but bottom grade is lake-specific, and in this lake it's a fast taper)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After the 'Chart Survey', a 'Field Survey' is needed using sonar & GPS.
Many negative game-changers may be encountered, but 3 of the most common are the following:
1) All too often, expensive chart bathymetry is blatantly inaccurate (There's no substitute for onsite sonar & GPS)
2) The water level may be much higher or much lower than Normal Pool, which would skew 'all' depth lines!
3) The bottom contour may be the cat's meow, but if the spot lacks suitable "cover", all bets are off
Roger
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/27/2015 at 5:50 AM, RoLo said:I chose one innocent looking Trial Site near the ramp. COORDINATES: N40.82625 W73.12755
1) If we begin at the beginning (the lifeblood) we find that the selected site adjoins a broad 0 to 10-foot shelf
that extends about 300 ft offshore and stretches about 100 yards long.
2) In addition, the site lies in a fairly defined indentation in the 13-ft contour line.
(Land points are invaluable inasmuch as they increase shelf area, but 'inside turns' are more effective at aggregating fish)
3) In addition, the trial site offers a good slope between the 13 and 16 ft depth lines (1 ft drop per 11.5 ft)
(In many lakes this would be classed as a slow slope, but bottom grade is lake-specific, and in this lake it's a fast taper)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After the 'Chart Survey' performed at home, a 'Field Survey' is needed with 3D sonar.
Many negative game-changers may be encountered, but 3 of the most common are as follows:
1) All too often, expensive chart bathymetry is blatantly inaccurate (There's no substitute for onsite 3D sonar)
2) The water level may be much higher or much lower than Normal Pool, which will skew 'all' depth lines!
3) The bottom contour may be the cat's meow, but if the spot lacks suitable "cover", all bets are off
Roger
Interesting Roger..the map may be unreliable...
TorqueConverter reply :
Unfotunately the map provided is about as bad as it gets when it comes to resolution but there's still some points of interest that if I was fsihing the lake I'd check out with a more detailed map if I was planing a visit. All I can give you is my best guess. I'm assuming 14ish foot deep weedlies for the #2 locations, meaning weed cover on main lake structure IE classic summer time haunts.
1: potetial spring spawning locations
2: potential summer locations
?: insufficient detail but potential summer main lake stuctures
I'd cruse the spring locations durring mid to late pre spawn when fish are shallow, but most are not on beds and look for both fresh weed growth and warm water. I'm not seeig a whole lot of obvious transitional areas besides that one point, so I'd be a bit leery about an early pre spawn visit but I'm sure the body of water has both wintering holes with transitional areas leading to spawing grounds, it's just that they are not imideately apparent from the image provided.
EDIT: if this is glacial lake then be on the lookout for rock piles deposited by glacial action. Not so much in the spring but in summer these rock piles will create bald spots in the weed beds creating fish magnets as well as creating drop shot magnets for smallies in deeper water durring the summer months. 'Eyes love them some rock piles as well and they taste good.
lmbfisherman reply :
Not sure if anyone else brought this up, but I also looked on Google Maps of the lake. In the very north end of the map, there is also like a 90 degree corner there, which isn't shown on the topo map. At least from what I can see. Anyway, this looks like it was created by man and gives it a distinct structure. From the looks of it looks like it drops quickly to the 7ft mark. From matching up the best I can with the topo.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/28/2015 at 1:41 AM, lmbfisherman said:Not sure if anyone else brought this up, but I also looked on Google Maps of the lake. In the very north end of the map, there is also like a 90 degree corner there, which isn't shown on the topo map. At least from what I can see. Anyway, this looks like it was created by man and gives it a distinct structure. From the looks of it looks like it drops quickly to the 7ft mark. From matching up the best I can with the topo.
That would be a parking lot, that could be a point of interest
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 1/27/2015 at 5:16 PM, TorqueConverter said:Unfotunately the map provided is about as bad as it gets when it comes to resolution but there's still some points of interest that if I was fsihing the lake I'd check out with a more detailed map if I was planing a visit. All I can give you is my best guess. I'm assuming 14ish foot deep weedlies for the #2 locations, meaning weed cover on main lake structure IE classic summer time haunts.
1: potetial spring spawning locations
2: potential summer locations
?: insufficient detail but potential summer main lake stuctures
I'd cruse the spring locations durring mid to late pre spawn when fish are shallow, but most are not on beds and look for both fresh weed growth and warm water. I'm not seeig a whole lot of obvious transitional areas besides that one point, so I'd be a bit leery about an early pre spawn visit but I'm sure the body of water has both wintering holes with transitional areas leading to spawing grounds, it's just that they are not imideately apparent from the image provided.
EDIT: if this is glacial lake then be on the lookout for rock piles deposited by glacial action. Not so much in the spring but in summer these rock piles will create bald spots in the weed beds creating fish magnets as well as creating drop shot magnets for smallies in deeper water durring the summer months. 'Eyes love them some rock piles as well and they taste good.
I will definitely hit up those spots, and thanks so much for putting markers on the map ! I want to try to hit the lake soon after ice out so i'll see what happens.
phototex reply :
Even if a thermocline exists in the summer, the deeper water gets well mixed with oxygen once the lake turns over in the fall, so the thermocline disappears. If the water is really clear, I'd concentrate on that point already mentioned at the south end and the dropoff from 13' into 26' on the northeast end. I would probably use 8-12# line with smaller lures during the day. Try those spots at night during the summer by slow-rolling a black single-colorado-bladed spinnerbait just off the bottom. Also try topwater between dusk and dawn....and good luck.
primetime reply :
If you contact the local DEC they will give you the location to where they sink all the Christmas trees in Lake Ronkonkoma. I am not sure if they still have enough funding for that program but in the 80's and early 90's the best spot of fish on Ronkonkoma was the brush piles. IF you You Tube George Rose shiner fishing on Lake Ronkonkoma he is catching fish every cast and the brush piles were put in 8-12' of water. I forget the exact location, I was young when fished that lake and I never liked it since 90% of the lake is not very productive so when I went out with my friend in our Little Bass Hunter wthout Electronics and at that time in High School we really on threw Spinnerbaits and weightless plastics and topwaters, so we only fished visible structure and once the Sun comes up that lake is tough, we would do well near the creeks and shallow structure that everyone fishes, but I did take a trip once with my older brother who knew where the brush piles were and this was 20 years ago, but they are not far from the ramp, guys make their own as well, and the best fishing after the sun comes up is in the 12' range as that is where the brush was placed. I didn't look at this map but I have one that I will PM to you that shows the brushpiles and the DEC will also give this to you for free, they are located in Ridge, and used to be very helpful. They stocked Tiger Musky in Ronkonkama or Hybrids and I know guys would catch a giant Musky every month or so. I don't think it has smallies, may have hybrid stripers, but I will get you the location of the brush piles, but my buddy who still fishes the Island found them by simply fishing near other boats and watching where they anchored.
That Lake is known for producing Bass in the 5-6lb range often, and it is probably top 5 for a potential double digit fish, but if Blydenburg produced an 11lber than anything is possible. If you can get out east the lakes out there have less pressure, Wildwood lake is a lake that hold giants, and once you learn to pattern that lake you will love it and is fun to fish as it has everything you could want....That is a topo that is fun to read and the entire lake holds fish at certain times, but in spring the spawning flats are easy to find and are simply.....Great.
J Francho reply :
The Ronk, on the Internet! Oh boy. You should hook with some LI locals. They can get you cooking on that lake. It's definitely not a "by the book" situation, from what I hear. You won't find a ton online, but there's plenty folks that know. NYBASS would be a start. LI guys are typically, and understandably tight lipped online.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 2/19/2015 at 3:50 AM, primetime said:If you contact the local DEC they will give you the location to where they sink all the Christmas trees in Lake Ronkonkoma. I am not sure if they still have enough funding for that program but in the 80's and early 90's the best spot of fish on Ronkonkoma was the brush piles. IF you You Tube George Rose shiner fishing on Lake Ronkonkoma he is catching fish every cast and the brush piles were put in 8-12' of water. I forget the exact location, I was young when fished that lake and I never liked it since 90% of the lake is not very productive so when I went out with my friend in our Little Bass Hunter wthout Electronics and at that time in High School we really on threw Spinnerbaits and weightless plastics and topwaters, so we only fished visible structure and once the Sun comes up that lake is tough, we would do well near the creeks and shallow structure that everyone fishes, but I did take a trip once with my older brother who knew where the brush piles were and this was 20 years ago, but they are not far from the ramp, guys make their own as well, and the best fishing after the sun comes up is in the 12' range as that is where the brush was placed. I didn't look at this map but I have one that I will PM to you that shows the brushpiles and the DEC will also give this to you for free, they are located in Ridge, and used to be very helpful. They stocked Tiger Musky in Ronkonkama or Hybrids and I know guys would catch a giant Musky every month or so. I don't think it has smallies, may have hybrid stripers, but I will get you the location of the brush piles, but my buddy who still fishes the Island found them by simply fishing near other boats and watching where they anchored.
That Lake is known for producing Bass in the 5-6lb range often, and it is probably top 5 for a potential double digit fish, but if Blydenburg produced an 11lber than anything is possible. If you can get out east the lakes out there have less pressure, Wildwood lake is a lake that hold giants, and once you learn to pattern that lake you will love it and is fun to fish as it has everything you could want....That is a topo that is fun to read and the entire lake holds fish at certain times, but in spring the spawning flats are easy to find and are simply.....Great.
Thanks, I will definitely go to the DEC and get all the info and maps I can get.
I didn't know Blydenburgh produced an 11 lber! Thats crazy! I've heard of 8s and 9s out of there but nothing that close to state record!
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 2/19/2015 at 3:59 AM, J Francho said:The Ronk, on the Internet! Oh boy. You should hook with some LI locals. They can get you cooking on that lake. It's definitely not a "by the book" situation, from what I hear. You won't find a ton online, but there's plenty folks that know. NYBASS would be a start. LI guys are typically, and understandably tight lipped online.
Will do, I just need to get on the lake and meet some of the locals that fish it. Too bad its frozen solid 
primetime reply :
On 2/19/2015 at 4:03 AM, Weld said:Thanks, I will definitely go to the DEC and get all the info and maps I can get.
I didn't know Blydenburgh produced an 11 lber! Thats crazy! I've heard of 8s and 9s out of there but nothing that close to state record!
Google it. The story is this...100% true..Guy takes his kid out to try a new fly fishing rod, they are fishing at that ramp in the wooded area, it's like 2-3' deep, no cover, and they cast out a popper on a fly rod, and bam....11.4 long island record bass...That is fact...First cast is how I was told but it is a documented record, I also know someone who landed a 10.1 from Forge and it was caught by the railroad tracks on a jig in winter.
J Francho reply :
How can LI record be the same as the current state record? Did get finally annex it from upstate, lol.
But seriously, I'll need a link or something.
primetime reply :
I was just watching the George Rose video, and his "7lber's" sure looked like solid 4-5lb fish to me, no wonder he claims to have landed over 100 7lb bass on long island and Wildwood alone or something crazy, and this was the 90's...I am thinking the Blydenburg fish may not have been 11.4 but 9.4, 11.4 is the state record but I know it was a large fish. It was weighed at the local bait shop in the late 80's I think...
All I know is I fished NY from a little kid till mid 20's and older Brother still fishes NY and CT and we never landed a fish over 7.5 and that was a 24" bass, so I guess if a 21" bass is 7lbs, then I caught a few dozen NY 7lbers, and heck, I may have some 15-18lbers here in Florida. 21-24" NY Bass is not going over 8lbs although you never know.
fishballer06 reply :
Being a big walleye fishermen, a lot of those deep drop offs are calling for a jig with a live minnow or leach. In the cooler weather, I wouldn't worry about the DO in the water. The fish will still be deeper than 15'. Especially the walleye.
primetime reply :
On 2/19/2015 at 4:58 AM, J Francho said:How can LI record be the same as the current state record? Did get finally annex it from upstate, lol.
But seriously, I'll need a link or something.
I just corrected it, I was getting numbers confused...I think it was 9.4, I am getting old, I fished the Island 20 years ago, but I know there was a fish that was caught on a fly rod at Blydenburg park when I was in High School that was huge and we fished the lake every weekend after reading about it, but then again, one man's 9lber is another man's 6lber...I was just watching the George Rose Ronkonkoma video and his 7's were 4-5's where I am from...I think the 11.4 was stuck in my head since it has been state record for so long....Good call, I realized after I typed it that 11lbs is awfully big for NY so I checked, but I have always believed the Blydenburg story and will have to check as the Long Island Fisherman had an article about it years ago and when I used to fish the Dave Romeo bass tournaments as a kid the story was told by almost everyone as true... I think it was 9.4 or something close to 10....The 10 at forge was a fish caught years ago by someone I trusted, but after that video I think some scales are broken....
J Francho reply :
This is from central NY. It's 7 lbs. 1 oz.
primetime reply :
Here is the link to all the stories from the LI fisherman magazine and has info about the fly fishing story I had heard and it says 9.14 so I was close with the .4...I don't doubt a 10lb bass is on the Island at all, I have seen legit 7's and we used to fish a private lake my friend lived on called Black Lake in Monticello and it had huge bass in it back in the 90's. Average bass was 19" 4lbs and we pulled some fish over 23" and fat out of that lake...
Here is the LI story and lots of debating it...
http://www.nybass.racknine.net/illustrated/archives/threads/places/ronko.htm
Posted by earthworm77 on 2002 AM:
First let me say that I pride myself in finding big bass on LI. I've caught a ton...literally. A 22" fish is a great fish but a 22" fish is not even close to 10lbs or 9 for that matter. It may touch 6lbs. The problem is that most guys haven't caught a bass over 3lbs so they guestimate. To most, an 18" bass is a 5lber. They have no clue. I can't figure why the Fisherman mag, reported a 10lber being that it was obviously illegal pre season time...the reports are a few weeks behind. Next....no chance that fish came from the overflow. There are 3 places that come to mind...that I will talk about on LI where I know there are bonifide 10lbers swimming.......Ronkonkoma is definately one. Anyone remember Bill Doc Bartick???? He took an 11 in the late 70's. My Dad knows him and perhaps I can get some info out of him on it or at least a photo....next...Wildwood.....you may get shot fishing there but I've seen some giants including a 9-14 I took about 6 yrs ago. The last lake is Blydenburgh. I saw a photo of a ten cuaght on a flyrod about 10yrs ago. Although I've taken two 9's and a host of 7's and 8's from the Peconic, I do not think there is a 10 there. Just a gut feeling...I may be wrong. There are also a few other ponds on LI that I know have some tremendous fish with a 10 being a legitimate possiblity.
__________________
www.micromunchtackle.com
primetime reply :
On 2/19/2015 at 5:11 AM, J Francho said:This is from central NY. It's 7 lbs. 1 oz.
That's a Bass right there...Awesome Colors...Healthy and HUGE. Now that is a 7lb bass, big difference from a 5 to a 7. 7's are not easy to catch in Florida.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 2/19/2015 at 4:58 AM, J Francho said:Did get finally annex it from upstate, lol.
hahahaha
Paul Roberts reply :
Ya might want to just print this baby. It's pretty long and dense. Lakes aren't simple -esp ones like Ronkonkoma. There's some history, and the lake's ecology, worth knowing.
Fun map. As mentioned though, most hydro maps are rough sketches at best. And things change over the decades. What’s really missing from such maps however are the ecological realities that make or break any given spot on the map. That kind of intel comes through prior research, on the water observations, and in the fishing. From a quick search I see there is TONS of helpful info out there on this popular lake. So, using some of what’s out there and an ecological approach, what kind of things might we be looking for on Lake Ronkonkoma? How might we make use of that map?
I try to think of structure “functionally”: What might those structures offer the bass, and for bass prey? Where are the seasonal habitats located? Where is the food produced? What and where are the limitations that might help narrow things down? If I can, I try to rule out as much water as possible at the outset, using info and observations on key habitat parameters: light, temperature, oxygen, substrate, cover, and prey species. Again, such info comes from researching the lake ahead of time, educated guesswork, scouting, and no small amount of fishing. Ruling out water may seem risky but then again, we can’t be everywhere (unless maybe you are a true-to-form Spoonplugger, and there aren’t that many of those around anymore.)
Often the first thing I do is take a temperature profile which tells me where in the season I’m at and if there is a thermocline. I lower a thermometer to the bottom of the area and if it’s close to the surface temp I’m good that far down. If there is a big temp change I’ll measure progressively shallower until I find the temperature break. I may be able to rule out an entire layer that way.
I try to get an idea of where the majority of food production lies in a given water body, and how deep it goes. In most bass lakes the majority of production comes from rooted vegetation, secondarily from phytoplankton in open water, and lastly benthically (on and in bottom substrate). But every water is a bit different. What’s shared by all is the fact that light kicks off the food chain, so it’s the lake’s upper layer –the photic zone– that produces the vast majority of the food. That’s what those shallower flats –the “food shelves”– are all about, functionally.
Lakes that lack vegetation –“swimming pools” like Ronkonkoma, apparently– very likely have food chains driven by pelagic plankton in open water. What this means is that many young fishes (potential bass prey) may live away from shorelines, and often suspended. In general, pelagic based fisheries can be tough fishing bc it’s not the usual bass habitat, they are not so well adapted to it, being more effective hunters in and around cover. Bass populations may be smaller (unless the pelagic prey is appropriate sized shad in adequate numbers) and there are fewer “bassy-looking” places for anglers to cast to. Lack of rooted vegetation and pelagic production can make away-from-shore structures all the more important to bass, but this is usually in conjunction with an abundance of pelagic prey that bass can efficiently capture, such as shad. The presence of cover helps bass out a lot regardless, largemouths in particular. Smallmouths are better at pelagic hunting however and apparently smallies are doing well in the lake.
Shoreline cover such as vegetation, deadfallen wood, and manmade cover such as docks, seawalls, ramps, etc… likely attract bass in Ronkom but if there’s little of it, there will be little cover oriented prey to go around. Mature bass that live off the shallow cover –and there are certainly some– are in the position of having to move some distance to reach stable sanctuary water. This is certainly true from a seasonal perspective bc winter habitat is unlikely to be very near shallow cover. Movements away from shallow prey-filled cover out to or over deeper water may need to occur for periods of time if cover is too shallow for bass due to high water temps, forage availability/vulnerability, or fishing pressure.
Ronkonkoma has white perch, yellow perch, and bluegill, all three of which are known to be able to make livings in open water. In Ronkonkoma, stunted white perch have come to dominate the lake’s open water and are the reason the DEC introduced walleyes there, which are more efficient open water predators than either bass species are and better able to crop down the white perch. From what I read, apparently they’ve done so, but the walleyes are not large, leaving a sizable population of 4 to 6 inch white perch, just outside the gape limit of the walleyes, and most bass. White perch are probably difficult prey to capture and handle period, apparently having evolved effective anti-predator capabilities, being open water schooling species with large eyes, deep bodies, and formidable spines. It would take a large bass or walleye, or a muskie, to tackle the hordes of bigger white perch out there. When fisheries people start stocking walleyes it’s often a tip-off that the lake has pelagic prey that the bass aren’t making good use of. This can be an indication that the lake has lost vegetation or other cover where bass do best. It sheds some light on Ronkomkoma’s current potential as a bass water -at least with both numbers and quality.
This may not mean that bass do not feed away from shoreline cover. The potential for peri-pelagic activity is worth being aware of though when you run out of weed beds to explore. You might even find some jerkbait or even topwater action well away from shorelines (if water remains clear). The bass will be most likely be concentrated around structure elements and/or where the schools of offshore prey fish are. Something to be aware of is that the low light of evening can bring nektonic (motile) zooplankton up from the depths to feed on phytoplankton and smaller zooplankton. Prey fishes will intercept these and bass, or walleyes, may be right with them.
The benthic (bottom) contribution to the food chain I’ll mention because of the excess fertility issues in Ronkonkoma and the mention of oxygen deficits reported by DEC. There are a group of aquatic insects –Chironomid midges– that as larvae can thrive in enormous numbers in the bottom ooze of over-nutrified lakes, even down into “anoxic” depths. All insect-eating fishes –prey fishes for bass– relish them. They can be sucked from bottom ooze as larvae, and/or intercepted as the pupae rise to the surface to emerge in droves. If you see rises all over the surface, even out in lake-center, it is likely to midges. Midges are usually a spring and late autumn emergence.
Another thing I want to know when exploring a lake is how deep major food production occurs. Water clarity, bc of light penetration, gives us an idea of how deep the photosynthesis that drives the food chain can occur. And outer weedline depth is a good general indicator for depth of the majority of primary food chain production in bass lakes, vegetation being essentially sensitive solar collectors. How sensitive depends on the plant species and each vary in max depth they can survive. Zooplankton that feeds on the phytoplankton tend to live deeper than phytoplankton in waters with fish predators, hanging where light is diminished enough not to be easy prey to fishes. As said above, at dusk they may rise up to feed on phytoplankton nearer the surface. The fish are aware of this and larger predators too.
Break your water down, in layers: shallows, mid, deep. Choose one that’s (keeping season in mind) and start homing in on the details. Get to know where the winter habitat is, the spawning substrate is, and where vegetation beds are. I’d suggest printing and coloring copies of the map which allows you to visualize potentially important layers and have certain features within the layers “pop out”. Try different depth ranges and update them with recent lake info. I went ahead and broke the map down to shallow (<10ft), mid (10-16ft), and deep (>16ft). I chose these numbers bc it was easy to do on the map, outer weedlines have been recorded at ~10ft, and bc the summer thermocline is suggested at the ~15ft level (or deeper) as per DEC comments about 02 levels.
As others commented, such an oxycline likely occurs during a window of time –most likely summer. This being a “kettle lake” (small and deep), it probably sets up early (winter chilled water never actually heating in deep places with less wind mixing than a flatter lake might get). Depending on nutrient load it is possible that some years the depths could have 02 issues for a long period. This was probably the case prior to the pollution clean-up efforts that began in earnest the 1980’s. The lake sits in a suburban area so it gets overfertilized during run-off events. Algal blooms follow, blocking light, killing plankton and vegetation, which in turn contribute to bacterial growth and subsequent 02 depletion in the depths.
Here’s a screen shot from Google Earth I found, that caught one of the issues faced by Ronkonkoma managers: The rise in the goose population has added to lake fertility and algal growth:
Probably what has saved this lake (beside people taking steps) is the relatively infertile substrate composed mostly of glacial outwash: sand, gravel, clay, and silt, Long Island being essentially a giant glacial moraine. Bedded in permeable substrate, the lake is groundwater fed. Lake levels have varied as much as eight feet between highs and lows.
A good way to start looking at lake structure is simply looking for areas with the most irregularities, identifying the food shelves, and then the breaklines (drop-offs), then the breaks (cover mostly). From what I could gather, it’s got a pretty clean bottom. So you’ll likely have to look close for irregularities that might serve as breaks. With such a clean bottom over so much of it, anything may attract fish. However, despite once having once been dubbed “The Dead Sea” by local anglers, Ronkonkoma’s vegetation is reportedly making a comeback with increased clarity as algal blooms are kept in check. DEC has added “stump reefs” as habitat enhancement, and angler groups have added xmas trees.
So… sans sonar, I’d get to know where the winter habitat is, the spawning substrate is, and where the veges grow. As of 2001, weedlines were reported to go to 10ft. It’s likely better now, and I read that Hydrilla has found its way there which, if it takes, can grow deeper than most types of vegetation. In 2013, Hydrilla was reported as deep as 12ft. The most common weed mentioned was Elodea, which can grow to depths of 17ft, survives the winter, and starts growing early in the spring. Gee! An all in one weed! The N end of the lake might be a good place to look as it is fed by an extensive marsh which likely deposits richer soil and pioneering plant parts.
I’d also be scouting deeper too, away from the weeds, as there’s plenty of interesting “shelving” in the photic zone out there and some interesting flats and breaklines. The job is to find the breaklines and then the breaks. Small things can matter –a hole, bump, rock, xmas tree, a stump reef, or just a substrate change. Or, a school of perch –which itself is probably relating to something –substrate perhaps, zooplankton, or midges.
Think season, think layers, think structure, think breaks, think prey. Do get a sonar unit, even a simple one.
Again, lotsa info out there on Ronkonkoma…here’s a smattering:
Map of 2002 DEC placed stump reefs. Look for updates:
http://www.lakerhs.org/rhs/images/Lake%20Ronkonkoma%20Presentation%2008-30-2006.pdf
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/fshanrpt2001.pdf
Lake Ronkonkoma Aquatic Plant Survey
With the help of a student from Sachem High School, Region 1 Fisheries staff conducted a semi-quantitative survey of submerged aquatic vegetation in Lake Ronkonkoma. The last comprehensive vegetation survey was completed in 1938. Submerged plants were collected at 61 locations around the lake using a grappling hook attached to a nylon rope. Fifty out of the 61 sites contained some submerged vegetation. However, vegetation was nearly absent in water depths exceeding 10 feet. Five species of submerged plants were collected and several other species were observed during the survey. Western waterweed (Elodea nuttallii) was the dominant plant species. Other plants collected during the survey included macroscopic algae of the genus Nitella and three different species of pondweeds of the genus Potamogeton. Results support anecdotal observations by anglers that the weed beds are beginning to recover in the lake. Continued expansion of this vital habitat should result in better fishing.
http://www.lakerhs.org/rhs/images/Lake%20Ronkonkoma%20Clean%20Lakes%20Study%20-%201986.pdf
http://www.lakerhs.org/rhs/images/Lake%20Ronkonkoma%20Presentation%2008-30-2006.pdf
http://www.nybass.com/archive/index.php/t-38366.html :
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Lake Ronkonkoma was a fertile lake back in the 60's and on into the early to mid 70's. Milfoil, pond weed and Lilly Pads were the primary vegitation, I believe. Run off from housing communities and commercial enterprises over the years decimated the vegitation leaving the lake by 1980 devoid of vegiatation of any kind. Over the the next 10 years efforts were made to restore some sort of vegitation without success.
What was once an outsatnding bass fishing lake was turned into a barren wasteland and used as 'lake X' by the DEC with experimental stockings of Hybrid Stripers, Tiger Musky and lastly Walleye. The Hybrids didnt take, the Tiger Musky are gone and the verdict is still out on the Walleye.
Long Island Bassmasters collected old Xmas trees and in conjunction with the DEC planted them in areas around the lake hoping to create fish holding structure for the dwindling bass populations. Individuals from a local club took it upon themselves to stock smallmouth bass taken from the Hudson River in the mid 80's. This was a HUGE success and the smallmouth population has thrived, with numbers of 4lb+ fish being taken each year. The DEC now concedes, all-beit reluctantly that the lake harbors a thriving smallmouth population. While this 'mid-nite' run stocking was successful, its something I dont reccomend or condone.
Largemouth populations were supplimented with stockings done by the Long Island Bassmasters in concert with the DEC. This has been a big help. However, there still was not any vegiatation in the lake. All methods were attempted, Approved and otherwise but nothing worked. Now comes a report that Hydrilla has been found in the lake. This is the first I have heard of it and I will snoop around a bit.
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Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 2/19/2015 at 11:11 AM, Paul Roberts said:-
Oh my! You went above and BEYOND! Thank you for all of the research you did! You sir know how to decipher a lake, let alone a topo map!
I would have never considered all of these variables as you did, but now I will and I believe it will benefit me immensely!
Thank you so much!!!
Now all I need is a fish/depth finder lol
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