Lilypad Pond.

Lilypad Pond sits fifteen acres deep in the Saranac Lake Wild Forest — far enough off the main corridors that it holds onto quiet through the summer weeks when the bigger waters fill up. The name delivers: shallow bays thick with lily pads by mid-June, open water in the center, the kind of pond that fishes better from a canoe or kayak than from shore. No species data on file with DEC, but ponds like this in the Saranac Lake region typically hold brookies, pickerel, or both — worth a rod and a morning if you're already back there. Access is walk-in; check current Wild Forest trail maps for approach routes and parking.