Every named lake, pond, river, and stream worth fishing in the Adirondack Park — with the species you'll find, the access you can count on, and the regions they sit in.
Abner Brook — technically a lake despite the name — is a five-acre pocket of water in the Great Sacandaga Lake region, tucked into the southern Adirondack foothills where the park's character shifts from High Peaks drama to quieter, less-trafficked valleys. No fish species on record, no curated access points in the system, and no nearby named peaks — this is working landscape country, where small waters like Abner sit between private parcels and old logging roads rather than designated trails. If you're looking for it, you're likely a completist with a topo map or someone who knows the back roads south of the lake itself.
Airdwood Lake is a 33-acre water in the Speculator region — small enough to paddle in an afternoon, big enough to feel secluded once you're on it. No fish species data on file, which usually means it's been overlooked by DEC surveys rather than truly barren, but set expectations accordingly. The lake sits in working-forest country where seasonal logging roads and private inholdings complicate access — confirm current public entry points locally before hauling a canoe in. If you're already camped or staying in the Speculator area and want a quiet morning paddle without committing to a known destination, Airdwood fits that brief.
Alder Brook Lake is a 22-acre water in the Speculator region — small enough to be overlooked, big enough to hold your attention if you're passing through with a canoe or a fly rod. No fish species data on file, which either means it hasn't been surveyed in recent memory or it's been too marginal to stock — common for waters in this size class that can winterkill or run warm by mid-summer. The name suggests a feeder drainage lined with alders, the kind of brushy headwater system that keeps a lake cool in spring and silted in by August. Worth a look if you're already in the area; otherwise it's a dot on the map until someone reports otherwise.
Amber Lake is a remote pond in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness, reached by bushwhack or an unmarked path from Thirteenth Lake. The water holds native brook trout, but access requires navigation skills—no maintained trail reaches the shore.
Amos Lake is a 13-acre pocket water in the Speculator region — small enough that it rarely appears on general recreation maps, but named and logged in the DEC inventory. No fish stocking records on file, and no established trail or lean-to documented in the standard references, which typically means private-land borders or walk-in access through unimproved woods. Lakes this size in the Speculator area often sit between larger systems — useful for float-plane pilots and old hunting camps, less so for the day-trip crowd. If you're headed that way, confirm access and ownership before you bushwhack.
Ampersand Lake is a 15-acre lake in the Saranac Lake Wild Forest, reached by a 3.6-mile trail from NY Route 3. The water is clear and shallow, ringed by lean-tos — a quiet overnight or a swim stop for those hiking Ampersand Mountain.
Antler Lake is a 15-acre pond in the Brant Lake township — small enough to feel private, big enough to paddle without circling back every ten minutes. The lake sits in the lower-elevation hill country west of the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, where the terrain rolls instead of climbing and the shore is more likely to be lined with red maple and hemlock than paper birch and balsam. No public launch data on file, no fish stocking records in the DEC database — which usually means private shoreline or walk-in access that doesn't make it onto the standard maps. If you're headed to Brant Lake proper for the day, Antler shows up on the USGS quad about two miles northwest.
Atwood Lake is a 12-acre body of water in the Old Forge area — small enough to feel private, large enough to paddle without circling endlessly. The lake sits in the network of ponds and wetlands that define the western edge of the central Adirondacks, where the landscape flattens out into mixed hardwood and the waters tend toward warm, shallow, and tannic. No official fish species data on record, which usually means it's been passed over by DEC surveys — typical for smaller Old Forge-area waters that don't draw heavy angling pressure. Access details are sparse; if you're headed in, confirm put-in options and ownership boundaries locally before making the drive.
Augur Lake is a 70-acre backcountry lake in the southern Adirondacks, accessed by a rough 2.5-mile bushwhack or unmarked path from Piseco-Powley Road. Brook trout, wild shoreline, no facilities — a destination for paddlers willing to carry in.
Avalanche Lake is a 40-acre alpine lake pinched between sheer cliffs — reached by the Avalanche Pass trail and its iconic "Hitch-Up Matildas" plank walkways bolted to the rock face. No fishing; hikers come for the gorge itself and the view up toward Mount Colden.
Ayers Lake sits in the southeastern corner of the park near the Great Sacandaga Lake basin — 84 acres of quiet water in a region better known for the sprawling reservoir than for backcountry ponds. No fish survey data on record, which typically signals either limited access or limited interest from the DEC stocking program; local knowledge would clarify whether it's a put-in-and-paddle lake or something more remote. The Great Sacandaga corridor runs more toward seasonal camps and motorboat access than hiking infrastructure — if you're headed to Ayers, expect a different pace than the High Peaks or the central Adirondack lake clusters.
