One of New York City's more popular places to fish is Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn, located entirely within Prospect Park. This 55-acre 7' deep lake has a very sinuous shoreline with several islands in the main body of the lake. A long arm of the lake stretches to the northeast, the latter part of which is called the Lullwater. The lake has an abundant submergent plant community including coontail, curly leaf pondweed, elodea, yellow floatingheart and floating water primrose.
Physical Features:
Area: 55 acres
Shoreline Length: 2.5 miles
Maximum depth: near 7 feet
Access:
There are plenty of places to fish along the shoreline of Prospect Park Lake. Many of those areas are accessible to people with disabilities. In addition to the lake, there is parking, lighting, and other family friendly features to the park. Mass transit is available by both bus and subway. Ride the F or G train to 15th Street - Prospect Park to access the lake from the west. The Q train to Parkside Avenue/Oceanside Avenue is the closest subway access to the east side of the lake. The Q, B, and Franklin Avenue Shuttle stop at Prospect Park/Empire Boulevard - Flatbush Avenue, a short walk from the park. For bus access to the west side of the lake, take the B69 bus to 15th Street and 8th Avenue or the B68 bus to Prospect Park SW and 10th Avenue. The east side of the lake can be accessed by taking the B16 to Parkside and Ocean Avenues, the B12 to Ocean and Woodruff Avenues or the B41 to Flatbush and Parkside Avenues.
Fish Species:
Largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, chain pickerel, bluegill, pumpkinseed, common carp, and golden shiner.
Fishing:
Prospect Park Lake offers a variety of shoreline fishing locations such as coves, fallen trees, rock walls, and weed beds. Two to three pound largemouth bass are fairly common, and the possibility of a memorable five pounder exists. Bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish are plentiful in the 4 to 7 inch range and eight-inch black crappie are not uncommon. The largest crappie caught during a 2019 DEC electrofishing survey was over 11 inches long. Carp are not plentiful, but there are enough to provide good sport for anglers that wish to catch Prospect Park Lake's largest fish.
When fishing in Prospect Park Lake, concentrate on the shoreline where fish congregate. Areas of Phragmites can be very productive, especially if targeting bass. When fishing with artificial lures, use weedless lures due to dense macrophyte growth in the lake. Using topwater lures such as frogs can produce exciting strikes. Just make sure you have heavy enough fishing line to get the fish out of the weeds once you hook one.
Regulations:
Special regulations apply. See Special Fishing Regulations for NYC.
New York City Department of Parks and Recreation rules require the use of non-lead weights and barbless hooks.
Fishery Highlights and Reports
The most recent boat electrofishing survey of Prospect Park Lake was executed in May, 2021. Fish species captured and observed were largemouth bass, bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish, brown bullhead, black crappie, golden shiner, yellow perch, American eel, and common carp. Size indices suggest a well-balanced predator-prey population although largemouth bass have declined in both size and abundance from previous surveys. Despite this, opportunities exist to catch good-sized largemouth bass and black crappie. Full findings can be found in the Prospect Park Lake Technical Brief (PDF).
| Waterbody | 8" and over | 12" and over | 15" and over | year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100th Street Pool | 50 | 37 | 0 | 2022 |
| Baisley Pond | 10 | 6 | 6 | 2021 |
| Central Park Lake | 9 | 5 | 0 | 2019 |
| Harlem Meer | 102 | 78 | 37 | 2021 |
| Kissena Lake | 55 | 20 | 4 | 2022 |
| Oakland Lake | 55 | 20 | 2 | 2021 |
| Prospect Park Lake | 51 | 19 | 1 | 2021 |
| Van Cortlandt Lake | 41 | 15 | 0 | 2021 |
| Willowbrook Lake | 17 | 17 | 8 | 2020 |
| Wolfe's Pond | 31 | 9 | 0 | 2021 |
2014 Prospect Park Lake Creel Survey
A creel survey of shoreline anglers was performed at Prospect Park Lake from May 5 - November 4, 2014. The survey was used to characterize both fishing activity and those who fish. Collected information included fish species targeted and caught, types of gear used, and anglers' perceptions about fishery-related issues at Prospect Park Lake. Angler effort was estimated to be 16,761 hours and 305 angler hrs/acre. Anglers reported catching 0.94 fish of any species/hr and 0.57 Largemouth Bass/hr with highest catch rates observed in July. Most anglers were male, lived in Brooklyn, and between 19 and 49 years of age. Ethnic composition reflected that of the borough of Brooklyn. The most heard comments from anglers (43%) regarded the amount of trash in and around the lake. Almost all anglers (81%) were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of fishing at Prospect Park Lake. Results from this creel survey were compared with those from a 2001 survey and while angler effort was comparable, catch rate for all fish in 2014 was greater than twice that in 2001. Largemouth Bass catch rate was approximately 20% greater in 2014 than in 2001. This lake has fish refuge areas, inaccessible to anglers, which likely contribute to healthy fish populations and could serve as a model for improving fish habitat in other NYC lakes. Read the full report (PDF)
