Lower Saranac Lake.
Lower Saranac Lake spans 2,214 acres with a maximum depth of 67 feet — the most accessible link in the Saranac chain. Smallmouth bass dominate the fishery, with northern pike, walleye, and yellow perch holding in numbers that support year-round angling.
Lower Saranac Lake reaches a maximum depth of 67 feet. Fish on record include Smallmouth bass, Northern pike, Walleye, and Yellow perch — always check current New York State DEC regulations before fishing. Lower Saranac Lake has public access. Summits nearby include Dewey Mountain and Shingle Bay Mountain.
The water, surveyed.
§ The water
Loading USGS terrain…
Lower Saranac Lake
3D terrain: USGS 3DEP relief with NAIP imagery — loads as this slot scrolls into view. The 2D map carries every pin from the classic lake page.
- Cold-water season returns — dress for immersion, and from Nov 1 New York requires wearing a PFD in boats under 21 ft.
Seasonal pattern for this lake · live closures appear above
12 parking areas
Closest parking lots within range, ranked by walking distance. Accessibility flags come from Google verified-data and NYSDEC records; surface and capacity from NYSDEC and OpenStreetMap. Confirm hours and seasonal closures before you go.
- 01Lonesmoe Bay Water Access ParkingTrailhead1.0 miunpavedDirections →
- 02Second Pond Boat Launch Parking1.1 mipavedDirections →
- 03Forest Home Rd #1 Trail Parking1.9 miunpavedDirections →
- 04Ampersand Bay Boat Launch Parking2.2 miunpavedDirections →
- 05Forest Home Rd # 2 Trail Parking2.3 miunpavedDirections →
- 06Halfway Brook Trail Parking3.1 mipavedDirections →
- 07DEC parking 226233.2 mipavedDirections →
- 08Lake Flower Boat Launch Parking3.3 mipavedDirections →
+4 more on the map above
Lower Saranac Lake.
From the people who’ve been here, plus what Google has on file.
What’s in the water.
Launch & supply.
Getting in, staying over.
Camping.
On the water.
What the lake is doing today.
What rings this water.
The peaks.
The trails.
Read before you launch.
Make a weekend of it.
Closest editorial picks for a meal, a scoop, a pint, a bed, and a sight worth your time.
Eat.
4- Red Fox1.9 mi
The Red Fox Restaurant is a longtime Saranac Lake landmark known for its Steak, Seafood, and Italian dishes, offered in a spacious Adirondack-style setting.
- Owl's Nest Pizza Parlor3.1 mi
Owl's Nest Pizzeria is a local favorite in Saranac Lake, New York, offering New York Style pizza, wings, subs, and other munchies. Available for dine-in, take-out, and delivery, it's a convenient spot to grab a slice.
- China Jade3.1 mi
A long-running Chinese restaurant on Saranac Lake's Main Street, doing classic American-Chinese standards for dine-in and takeout, Tuesday through Saturday.
- Our Plates3.1 mi
Our Plates offers Caribbean and Southern-inspired cuisine for pickup at 7 Broadway. Enjoy dishes like Empanadas Locas, Dominican Chimi Burgers, Bistec Encebollado, and Tres Leches cake.
Sip.
4- Blue Moon3.1 mi
Blue Moon Café in Saranac Lake offers dine-in, pick-up, and curbside delivery services. Guests can enjoy weekly specials, restaurant menus, baked goods, coffee, grocery items, and adult beverages.
- Origin Coffee3.1 mi
Origin Coffee Co is a specialty coffee shop with locations in Lake Placid and Saranac Lake serving a chef-driven breakfast and lunch menu.
- Nori's Village Market3.2 mi
Nori's Village Market and Riverside Cafe offers a market with organic and local produce, bulk foods, coffee, and teas, alongside a cafe serving natural, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and local meat options.
- Saranac Juice8.2 mi
Cold-pressed juices, cleanses, protein elixirs, and nut mylks from Saranac River Ranch in Bloomingdale, made from organic produce grown on the farm or sourced from local Adirondack growers.
Sweet.
4- Mark Twain Maple Works1.8 mi
Mark Twain Maple Works produces New York State maple syrup on the shore of Saranac Lake in the Adirondack Park. They have been making syrup since 2013, expanding their operation and offering various grades.
- Mountain Mist Custard2.8 mi
A summer fixture on the shore of Lake Flower in Saranac Lake, with picnic tables and a dock you can tie a boat to. Frozen custard and soft serve with weekly-rotating flavors, shakes, and sundaes.
- Donnelly's Soft Ice Cream4.7 mi
A fourth-generation Saranac Lake institution on a former dairy farm, serving exactly one rotating soft-serve flavor each day — twisted with vanilla on the same 1953 machine. Cash only; check the daily flavor. Memorial Day to Labor Day.
- Emma's Lake Placid Creamery10.1 mi
A 1950s-themed creamery in the heart of walkable Lake Placid, famous for its Maple Creme soft serve alongside 16 hard flavors, gelato, sorbet, and old-fashioned malts. The reliable apres-hike treat.
Drink.
4- Bitters & Bones3.1 mi
Saranac Lake's only downtown brewery, restaurant, and bar, Bitters & Bones offers craft beer brewed upstairs, fresh local cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and craft cocktails. It features rooftop decks and unique private event spa…
- RiverTrail Beerworks3.3 mi
RiverTrail Beerworks is Saranac Lake’s only riverfront brewpub, located on the Saranac Lake River Walk and Rail Trail. It features a heated patio, firepits, two golf simulators, and serves lunch and dinner daily with house-brewed beers and…
- The 1892 Bar & Grille4.9 mi
The 1892 Bar & Grille is a locally owned rustic bar and restaurant in Lake Clear, NY, offering homemade food. Recently under new ownership, it brings fresh energy and an updated menu to its patrons.
- Ray Brook Brewhouse5.4 mi
Ray Brook Brewhouse is a unique brewery in Ray Brook, NY, offering wild and traditional brews paired with adventurous dishes made from local and exotic ingredients.
Stay.
4- Kiwassa Lake Adirondack Bed & Breakfast1.7 mi
A lakeside B&B on Lake Kiwassa Road in Saranac Lake, with vintage knotty-pine cabins and boathouse-style lodge suites on 20 wooded acres, three miles from village.
- Ampersand Bay Resort2.2 mi
A small lakefront resort on Lower Saranac Lake with townhomes, cabins, lakeview suites, a private beach, a marina, and an on-site restaurant and wine bar. Five minutes from downtown Saranac Lake.
- Branch Farm Bed and Breakfast2.6 mi
Branch Farm Bed and Breakfast offers three private accommodations on the shores of Lake Flower, complete with home-cooked breakfasts and direct access to outdoor pursuits.
- Hotel Saranac3.3 mi
Hotel Saranac — 100 Main Street, Saranac Lake. 1927-era National Register property reimagined as a modern boutique within the Hilton Curio Collection.
See.
4- Sail Adirondacks: Saranac Lake-Lake Placid1.3 mi
A crewed sailboat charter operation with bases in Saranac Lake and Port Henry on Lake Champlain, running learn-to-sail lessons and skippered cruises on a fleet of classic sailboats.
- Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation3.1 mi
The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation works to protect common loons in the Adirondack Park and educates communities about the importance of these iconic birds and their lake ecosystems.
- Adirondack Birding Center3.1 mi
The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation protects common loons in the Adirondack Park through research, conservation, and education. They focus on understanding and mitigating human impacts to ensure loons thrive as environmental sentin…
- Adirondack Carousel3.3 mi
A community-built carousel on Depot Street in Saranac Lake, with hand-carved Adirondack animals (bear, loon, deer, otter) instead of horses. Year-round, indoors, and the best rainy-day move in town for kids under 8.
Add to the record.
Free, takes thirty seconds. Yours forever.
Every page on this site gets better when readers contribute. Mark a peak you’ve climbed, drop a photo, file a field note, or flag a correction — every addition makes the next visitor’s page better.
File a report.
Trail conditions, water level, bug pressure, blowdown. The kind of detail that helps the next person plan.
Write a field note →Spot something off?
Wrong elevation, outdated access notes, a coordinate that's drifted. We'd rather hear it than miss it.
Suggest an edit →Frequently asked.
- Where is Lower Saranac Lake located?Lower Saranac Lake is a lake in the Saranac Lake region of the Adirondack Park in northern New York State.
- How big is Lower Saranac Lake?Lower Saranac Lake has a surface area of approximately 2,214 acres, a large lake by Adirondack standards.
- How deep is Lower Saranac Lake?Lower Saranac Lake has a maximum depth of 67 feet.
- What fish are in Lower Saranac Lake?Lower Saranac Lake supports populations of Smallmouth bass, Northern pike, Walleye, and Yellow perch. Always check current New York State Department of Environmental Conservation fishing regulations before casting.
- Is Lower Saranac Lake open to the public?Yes, Lower Saranac Lake has public access. See the listing page for current trailhead, parking, and boat-launch details, and check active DEC advisories before visiting.
- Can you camp at Lower Saranac Lake?Within roughly seven miles of Lower Saranac Lake: 202 designated campsites, 13 lean-tos or shelters, 6 listed campgrounds. Permit and primitive-camping rules vary; check NYSDEC before you go.