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.
Baby Lake sits off Big Moose Road west of Eagle Bay — a small, shallow-water pond in the rolling mid-elevation forest between Old Forge and Big Moose. At 28 acres it's more puddle than destination, the kind of backcountry water that shows up on a topo map during a longer paddle or snowshoe route but rarely justifies a trip of its own. No fish species data on file with DEC, which usually means limited depth, heavy organic matter, or winterkill — common enough in ponds this size tucked into the Old Forge lowlands. If you're headed to Big Moose or the Stillwater Reservoir system, Baby Lake is a map footnote, not a waypoint.
Barnes Lake is a 10-acre pond tucked into the Old Forge area — small enough that it doesn't show up on most regional shortlists, but navigable water nonetheless. No fish species data on file with DEC, which usually means either unstocked and unfished or simply unreported; local anglers worth asking. The lake sits in working forestland southwest of the main Old Forge tourist corridor, part of the patchwork of private holdings and town forest that defines the lower-elevation Fulton Chain watershed. Access details are sparse — check with the town or local outfitters before planning a trip.
Bear Lake is a 27-acre pond in the Old Forge township — one of dozens of small, named waters scattered across the working forest south and west of the main village corridor. No fish stocking records on file, which typically means either wild brookies or nothing at all; local anglers would know. The lake sits in private timberland checkerboarded with state easement parcels, so access depends on current land status and whatever woods roads or snowmobile trails pass nearest. If you're poking around this area, confirm access and ownership before you launch — this is not the marked-trail High Peaks.
Bear Lake sits just north of Old Forge in the Fulton Chain lakes corridor — a 54-acre pond that holds a quiet middle ground between the resort-town energy of Fourth Lake and the deeper backcountry waters to the northeast. Access details are scarce in the public record, and the lake doesn't appear on the standard DEC stocking lists, which typically means private shoreline or limited put-in options for non-residents. The Old Forge area is dense with similar mid-sized ponds that straddle private and state land — worth a closer look at the DEC land classification maps before planning a trip. If you're shopping for stillwater paddling in this zone, check Big Moose Lake or the Fulton Chain itself for clearer public access.
Big Moose Lake covers 1,268 acres in the Old Forge region and reaches 70 feet deep — cold water that holds lake trout, smallmouth bass, and brook trout. It's quieter than the Fulton Chain, with public access and shoreline lodging for anglers who fish intermediate conditions.
Bonner Lake is a 52-acre water tucked into the Old Forge area — mid-sized by the region's standards, quiet enough to register as off-the-grid even in a town built around motorized lake traffic. No public fish stocking records on file, which usually means either private shoreline or light angling pressure; either way, it's not the lake you hear about at the tackle shop. The Old Forge lakes trend toward development and easy access — Bonner skews the other direction, holding its own pocket of stillwater without much fanfare. Worth a map check if you're looking for something past the First through Eighth Lake corridor.
Brandy Lake is a 16-acre pond in the Old Forge township — small enough to canoe in an afternoon, large enough to feel private once you're on the water. The lake sits in the working landscape south of the main Old Forge corridor, where private camps and seasonal cottages mix with undeveloped shoreline and second-growth hardwoods. No public launch or DEC campsite data on record, which typically means private or association access — confirm before you load the boat. If you're looking for put-in options in the Old Forge area, the Fulton Chain and the neighboring ponds off South Shore Road are the reliable public plays.
Brantingham Lake sits at 311 acres in the western foothills near Old Forge — a private community lake ringed by seasonal camps and year-round homes, with no public launch or DEC access. The water is deep enough for motorboats and clear enough that locals talk about it in the same breath as the bigger Tug Hill lakes to the west, but unless you know someone with a dock key, you're looking at it from NY-294. The Lake Association maintains the shoreline and enforces a strict no-trespassing perimeter; this is one of those Adirondack Park waters that exists on the map but lives behind camp gates. If you're after public water in the area, head east toward the Fulton Chain or north to Stillwater Reservoir.
Brewer Lake sits off the Old Forge grid — a 21-acre pond tucked into the working forest south of the Fulton Chain, away from the main lake-to-lake canoe routes and the summer rental traffic. No public boat launch, no marked state trail on the standard maps; access here is either by permission through private land or by locals who know the old logging roads. The lake doesn't appear on the DEC stocked-water lists, and if there are fish, they're likely holdover brookies or perch that came in decades ago and stayed quiet. This is Old Forge backcountry in the real sense — stands of second-growth hardwood, the occasional hunting camp, and water that gets fished maybe twice a season.
Bubb Lake sits in the Old Forge region at 51 acres — part of the Fulton Chain watershed but quieter than the main lakes, tucked into second-growth forest that grew back after the logging era. Access typically involves paddling or a woods road approach, and the lake sees less pressure than the bigger tourist draws to the west. No fish species data on record, which means either stocked brookies that didn't take or a pond that's been off the management rotation for years. The name — one of those blunt, functional Adirondack labels — tells you nothing, but the size suggests a manageable paddle and enough shoreline to find solitude if you time it right.
Buck Lake is a 41-acre water tucked in the Old Forge network — small enough to feel removed from the larger chains, big enough to support a shoreline community and a few private camps. No public fish stocking data on file, which usually means unstocked warmwater species or minimal angling pressure, though the DEC occasionally surveys these mid-size lakes for baseline population work. Access details aren't well-documented in state registers, suggesting this is primarily a private or limited-access lake rather than a launch-and-paddle destination. If you're passing through Old Forge and see the name on a local map, assume it's a residential water unless you confirm otherwise.
Burp Lake is a nine-acre pocket water in the Old Forge area — small enough that it doesn't appear on most recreational maps and remote enough that it holds its anonymity. No formal fish stocking records and no marked trail access means this is local knowledge territory, the kind of spot that shows up in a conversation about quiet paddles or brook trout prospecting but rarely in a guidebook. The name alone suggests old surveyor humor or a camp nickname that stuck. If you're looking for it, start by asking at an Old Forge outfitter or checking older USGS quads — it's out there, but it's not waiting for you at a trailhead.
