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.
Cage Lake is a 48-acre water tucked into the Old Forge township — one of the smaller named lakes in a region better known for the Fulton Chain and its reservoir system. No public access data on file with DEC, and no angling records to speak of, which typically means private shoreline or landlocked by camps. The lake sits in the working forest zone where most waters are either Adirondack League Club territory or legacy club holdings — worth a property map check if you're chasing it down. If you're in Old Forge proper and looking for accessible water, the North Branch of the Moose River and the public launch at Fourth Lake are the better bets.
Canachagala Lake is a remote body of water in the northwestern Adirondacks, accessible by bushwhack or unmaintained paths. No formal trails lead to its shores — navigation skill required.
Canada Lake anchors the southern edge of the Great Sacandaga region — 390 acres of quieter, residential water that sits apart from the reservoir's draw-down cycles and summer weekend traffic. The shoreline mixes private camps with public access points, and the lake itself holds a mid-depth profile that historically supported warm-water species, though current fish population data isn't on record. It's the kind of place that operates on a different tempo than the High Peaks corridor — less about trailhead logistics, more about launching a canoe mid-morning and drifting the perimeter. For lodging and supplies, the small hamlet of Canada Lake (same name) sits on the eastern shore.
Cary Lake is a 20-acre water tucked into the Old Forge township — small enough to stay off the standard touring circuit, large enough to hold a canoe or kayak for an hour of quiet paddling. The lake sits in working Adirondack country, where camp roads and forest access blend into one another and local knowledge still matters more than trailhead kiosks. No fish species data on file with DEC, which usually means either wild brookies that nobody bothers reporting or a pond that winterkills and gets restocked inconsistently. Access details are lean; ask at the Old Forge Visitor Center or check the latest DEC launch inventory if you're planning a paddle.
Cascade Lake is a 400-acre lake in the High Peaks region, flanked by Cascade and Pitchoff mountains. The shoreline holds DEC campsites accessible by canoe or kayak; fishing for bass and pike; a boat launch on Route 73 puts paddlers on the water in minutes.
Caswell Lake is an 11-acre pocket water in the Old Forge area — small enough that it rarely shows up on regional recreation maps, but part of the dense lattice of ponds and wetlands that defines the western Adirondacks. No formal fish stocking records on file, which usually means either wild brookies in low numbers or a pond that winters out every few years. Access details are sparse, and the lake doesn't appear on standard trail networks — likely private shoreline or a bushwhack destination for locals who know the approach. Worth a call to the Old Forge Visitor Center if you're chasing unmapped water in the Fulton Chain backcountry.
Cat Lake is an 18-acre water in the Speculator area — small, unassuming, and almost certainly named for a forgotten trapper's tomcat or an old lumber camp memory rather than any feline sightings in the basin. No species data on file with DEC, which usually means either minimal angling pressure or the kind of brook trout fishing that gets passed along by word of mouth and stays off the record. Without marked trails or formal access noted in the standard guides, this is the sort of pond that rewards map-and-compass work and a willingness to bushwhack — or a conversation with someone who's already done it.
Catlin Lake is a remote pond in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness, reached by a 3.2-mile hike from the Eleventh Mountain trailhead. The water holds brook trout and sees light pressure — a quiet alternative to busier High Peaks destinations.
Cedar Lake sits in the Tupper Lake region — a 72-acre water that holds its place in the mid-sized lake category without the name recognition or shoulder-to-shoulder pressure of the bigger resort waters nearby. No fish species data on record, which suggests either light management interest or simply under-sampled — common for middle-tier Adirondack lakes that don't line a highway or feed a known coldwater fishery downstream. The lack of curated nearby listings points to either private access or a more remote approach; waters in this size range near Tupper Lake tend to be reachable by seasonal roads or old logging traces rather than maintained DEC trails. Worth a closer look if you're working the area with a canoe and a willingness to scout.
Cedar Lakes is a 380-acre chain of three connected backcountry lakes in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness, accessed only by trail. Lean-tos dot the shoreline and the Northville-Placid Trail corridor — a remote base for multi-day paddling or through-hiking.
Chain Lake is a remote body of water in the northern Adirondacks accessible primarily by bushwhack or extended paddling routes. The lake holds native brook trout and sees minimal traffic — plan for primitive conditions and no maintained trail access.
Chambers Lake sits east of Old Forge in the Moose River Plains — a 27-acre pond in the low-relief timber country where the western Adirondacks flatten out into long gravel roads and dispersed campsites. The lake is part of the Old Forge / Inlet system of ponds and wetlands that feed the Moose River, more working forest than High Peaks drama. Access details and fishery records are sparse, but the pond fits the profile of the region: quiet water, soft shoreline, and the kind of solitude that comes from being off the main corridors. If you're looking for a named water to paddle or explore by truck and canoe in the Moose River country, Chambers is on the map.
Charley Lake is a 35-acre water in the Speculator region — remote enough that specifics on access and fishery management are thin on the ground, which usually means either private holdings nearby or a carry-in that doesn't see much traffic. The lake sits in the southern working-forest belt of the Park, where property lines shift and public access isn't always formalized on a trailhead sign. No stocking records in the DEC database; if there are fish, they're whatever survived the last ice-out or made it upstream on their own. Worth a call to the local ranger or the town clerk if you're planning a trip — access intel for these smaller southern waters tends to live in someone's head, not on a website.
Chase Lake is a 67-acre water in the Great Sacandaga Lake region — part of the southern Adirondack landscape where the terrain flattens out and the lakes sit lower and warmer than their High Peaks counterparts. No fish species data on record, which usually means either limited public access or minimal stocking and survey history; many waters in this zone are private or semi-private shoreline communities. The Great Sacandaga itself is a reservoir (flooded in 1930), and Chase Lake sits in that same hydrological system — a quieter alternative to the main body if you can reach it. Check local access and ownership before launching.
Chase Lake holds 109 acres in the Old Forge township — part of the working forest south of the main tourist corridor, where access patterns follow private logging roads and historical camp leases rather than marked DEC trails. The lake sits in mixed hardwood and conifer cover typical of the southwestern Adirondacks, where loons nest in May and the shoreline stays quiet outside of deer season. No fish stocking records on file, which usually means wild brookies or nothing at all — worth a reconnaissance trip with a canoe and a fly rod. Old Forge proper is fifteen minutes north for resupply and the Fulton Chain launch sites.
Chase Upper Lake is a 21-acre water in the Old Forge area — one of several small lakes in the Fulton Chain corridor that sits outside the main boat-launch-and-campground circuit. No fish stocking records on file, which typically means it's either privately held, marginally accessible, or both; many of the smaller Old Forge-area lakes are ringed by camps and accessible only by bushwhack or private easement. The name suggests a multi-lake system (Chase Upper / Chase Lower), common in this part of the Park where nineteenth-century surveying carved contiguous waters into separately named parcels. Check local shop talk in Old Forge or Inlet for current access intel — this one doesn't show up on the standard paddling maps.
Chasm Lake sits in the Keene valley cluster — a 28-acre water with no public fish stocking records and limited angler attention, which typically means either difficult access or shallow warmwater habitat that doesn't hold trout through summer. The name suggests steep terrain or a narrow valley configuration, common in this part of the eastern High Peaks corridor where glacial melt carved pockets between ridgelines. Without maintained trail access or nearby lean-tos in the DEC inventory, this one skews toward private-land context or bushwhack-only approach — worth confirming land status and access legality before planning a visit.
Chatiemac Lake is a 37-acre water in the Indian Lake township — part of the lower-elevation lake country west of the Blue Ridge and south of the Cedar River Flow corridor. The name suggests Algonquin roots, common in this stretch of the central Adirondacks where the working forest transitions into the deeper backcountry. No fish species data on file with DEC, which typically means either limited stocking history or catch reports too sparse to log — worth a call to the Ray Brook fisheries office if you're planning to wet a line. Access details aren't widely documented, so assume gated private roads or unmaintained footpaths unless you've confirmed otherwise with local outfitters in Indian Lake village.
Chazy Lake is a 690-acre lake in the northeastern Adirondacks, straddling Clinton and Franklin Counties. Public access via DEC boat launch on the north shore; known for smallmouth bass and northern pike.
Cheney Pond is a 35-acre backcountry water in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, reached by a 2.4-mile hike from Pharaoh Lake. Brook trout, lean-to camping, and solitude — fewer visitors push past Pharaoh to get here.
Christian Lake is a 16-acre pond tucked into the rolling backcountry west of Speculator — small enough to feel private, large enough to paddle without running out of water in twenty minutes. No public launch or marked parking, which means access likely depends on permission or older easements that don't show up on current DEC maps; worth asking locally if you're staying in town. The lake sits in mixed hardwood and softwood cover typical of the southern Adirondacks, where the terrain flattens out and the peaks give way to wetlands and deeper forest. Fish data isn't on file, but ponds this size in this zone often hold panfish or holdover brookies if there's cold inlet water.
Chub Lake is a 16-acre pond in the Great Sacandaga Lake region — small enough to feel tucked away, large enough to paddle a perimeter without bumping into shoreline every ten strokes. The name suggests a working-class fishing heritage, though current fish data is thin; if you're going, bring a topographic map and local beta. This is southern Adirondack country, where access and ownership can be a patchwork of private inholdings and older right-of-ways — confirm your route before you hike in. Worth a look if you're already in the area and hunting for solitude off the main corridors.
Chub Lake is a 45-acre water in the Raquette Lake township — small enough to stay off most paddlers' short lists, which is precisely the appeal. No formal fish surveys on record, but the lake sits in productive watershed country where brookies and perch tend to show up eventually. Access details are scarce in the public record, which usually means either a long carry from a seasonal road or a put-in that's known locally but not marked on the DEC map. If you're launching from Raquette Lake proper, Chub is one of the smaller satellites worth scouting by canoe when the main lake feels crowded.
Chub Lake sits north of Tupper Lake village in a quiet stretch of working forest — 97 acres with no formal public access and no DEC launch or trailhead to speak of. The shoreline is largely private, and without fish stocking records or angler reports in the file, it's the kind of water that stays off most paddlers' maps. If you're poking around the dirt roads and gated timber tracts between Tupper and the St. Regis Canoe Area, you'll see it on the USGS quad — but getting to the water legally is another question entirely.
Clear Lake is one of several small waters carrying that name in the Tupper Lake region — a 40-acre pond tucked into the working forest grid northwest of the village. The lake sits in mixed ownership country, a zone where state Forest Preserve parcels alternate with private timber company land and legacy camps, so access and shoreline use depend on which parcel you're approaching from. No fish stocking records or survey data on file with DEC, which typically means limited angling pressure and whatever native brookies or transplant populations the watershed can sustain on its own. If you're planning a visit, start with the Tupper Lake town office or a local paddling shop for current access points and landowner permissions.
Clear Lake is a small 29-acre water in the Tupper Lake region — named for the quality every Adirondack pond aspires to and few actually maintain past ice-out. Without fish stocking records or documented species, it's likely a seasonal pond or a private holding rather than a public fishery, though the name suggests it held clarity (and perhaps trout) at some point in its history. Waters of this size in the Tupper orbit often sit tucked in second-growth forest between the bigger destination lakes — functional habitat, watershed contributors, but not always accessible or maintained for recreation. If you're on Clear Lake, you either own shoreline or you bushwhacked in.
Clear Lake is a 396-acre body of water in the St. Regis Canoe Area, accessible only by paddle — no motors allowed. The shoreline holds 12 designated primitive campsites; paddlers often use it as a base for exploring the connected chain of wilderness ponds.
Clear Lake — 31 acres just outside Saranac Lake village limits — occupies a quiet middle ground between the mapped public waters of the High Peaks corridor and the private shoreline character of the Tri-Lakes developed zone. No official fish stocking records and no documented public access trail, which typically signals mixed ownership or landlocked status; local anglers may know a put-in, but this isn't a DEC-signed trailhead water. The name shows up on USGS quads and older maps, often confused with nearby Clear Pond (which has different acreage and a different shoreline shape). Worth a phone call to the Region 5 DEC office in Ray Brook if you're planning a visit — they'll confirm current access status and whether a cartop launch exists.
Cleveland Lake is a ten-acre water tucked into the Old Forge lake district — small enough that it doesn't show up on most tourist maps, which keeps it quiet. No DEC fish stocking records on file, and no maintained trail system to speak of — this is either private-access or a bushwhack depending on which shoreline you're approaching from. The lake sits in the working landscape west of the Fulton Chain, where property lines and old logging roads dictate more than trailhead signs. If you're looking for it, confirm access with the town or a local outfitter before you set out.
Cold Spring Lake is a 16-acre pocket water in the Speculator area — small enough that it lives in the shadow of bigger destinations like Lake Pleasant and Sacandaga Lake, but that's often the point. No fish stocking records on file, which typically means it's either naturally marginal habitat or simply off the DEC's priority list; local intel would clarify. Access details are scarce in the public record, so confirm ownership and entry points before heading in — much of the land around Speculator toggled between private clubs and public holdings over the decades. Worth a call to the local town office or a stop at Charlie Johns Store for the current story.
Combs Lake is a ten-acre pond tucked into the Old Forge township — small enough that it doesn't pull much traffic, but legitimate water with shoreline and depth. No fish species on the DEC survey record, which likely means it hasn't been stocked or sampled in recent memory, though that doesn't rule out resident brookies or informal populations. Access details are sparse in the public record — worth checking local trail registers or the town office if you're planning a visit. Old Forge waters tend to be either roadside resort ponds or backcountry walk-ins; Combs sits somewhere in that middle distance.
Copper Lake is a remote 87-acre pond in the Pigeon Lake Wilderness, accessible only by paddling across Sargent Ponds and portaging 0.3 miles. No fish stocking records; visitors come for solitude and backcountry camping on designated sites along the north shore.
Cossayuna Lake — 665 acres straddling the Washington County line south of Lake George — is a warm-water fishery and summer cottage lake that sits just outside the Blue Line, technically in the broader Lake George watershed but operationally its own world. The lake has a state boat launch on the northeast shore (Cossayuna Lake Road, cartop and trailer access) and draws a local crowd for bass, panfish, and early-season pike, though no formal stocking or survey data is on file with DEC. It's quiet-ish for a developed lake — more rural Route 40 than Route 9N — and the water stays warm enough through Labor Day that it functions as a late-season swim alternative when the bigger Adirondack lakes have already turned cold. If you're camping at Glen Hudson or Huletts and want flatwater paddling without the tour-boat traffic, Cossayuna works.
Cotton Lake is a 10-acre pond in the Old Forge lake district — small enough that it doesn't show up on most recreational radar, tucked into the dense patchwork of private holdings and public easements that define the western Adirondacks. No fish stocking records, no marked trailheads, no DEC campsites — this is either a bushwhack-access water or a private inholding depending on which parcel line you're standing on. If you're exploring the Old Forge backcountry by canoe or on foot, Cotton Lake is the kind of water you stumble onto, not the kind you plan a weekend around.
County Line Lake sits in the Great Sacandaga basin — a 19-acre water with no documented fish species on record and minimal online footprint, which usually means private shoreline or difficult access through untrailed terrain. The name suggests it straddles a town boundary, a common naming convention in the southern Adirondacks where lake districts blur into working forest and seasonal camps. Without public boat launch or DEC signage, this is likely a locals-only pond or a paper lake that looks bigger on the map than it plays in reality. If you're chasing it, confirm access with the county clerk or a local surveyor before bushwhacking in.
Cranberry Lake is the third-largest lake in the Adirondack Park — 3,528 acres of open water, fifty miles of shoreline, and a scattering of islands that make it feel more like northern Ontario than the central Adirondacks. The lake sits in the northwestern corner of the park, anchored by the village of Cranberry Lake on the southeast shore and ringed by state land on three sides — accessible by road, but remote enough that motorboats and paddlers spread out and disappear into the bays. The DEC maintains primitive campsites on several islands and along the shoreline; this is a paddling destination, not a roadside stop. Water levels fluctuate with dam releases, and the lake drains north into the Oswegatchie River system.
Cranberry Lake — the 12-acre pond in the Speculator region, not the 7,000-acre reservoir up north — sits quietly in a landscape of small ponds and low ridges where the central Adirondacks flatten out toward the southern tier. Without fish stocking records or maintained trail access in the state database, it reads as a backcountry pond reached by bushwhack or old logging trace — the kind of water you find by studying the topo and walking a bearing. The name suggests the usual story: sphagnum bogs, acidic water, wild cranberries at the shoreline margins. If you're targeting this one, confirm access and ownership before you go.
Cranberry Lake covers 6,975 acres in the northwestern Adirondacks with depths to 47 feet and mostly undeveloped shoreline. Lake trout in the main body, smallmouth bass on the structure, brook trout in the inlet streams.
Crooked Lake sits in the Tupper Lake region — a 55-acre water with no public access data on file and no fish species reported in DEC surveys. The name suggests the usual meander or irregular shoreline, common enough in this part of the Park where glacial melt carved pockets and fingers into softer ground. Without a trailhead or boat launch in the state database, this one likely sits behind private holdings or requires a bushwhack from a nearby woods road. If you know the access or the fishing, it's worth a call to the DEC Region 5 office in Ray Brook to update the record.
Crooked Lake sits in the Old Forge corridor at 46 acres — small enough to feel contained, large enough to paddle for an hour without retracing your wake. The name likely comes from an irregular shoreline or a bend that distinguishes it from the dozens of rounder ponds in the western Adirondacks, though the lake doesn't appear on many standard recreation lists and fish survey data hasn't surfaced in DEC records. It's the kind of water that gets overlooked in a region dense with bigger destinations — Stillwater Reservoir, the Fulton Chain, Raquette Lake — but that's often the trade-off for solitude. Check local access points in Old Forge; many smaller lakes in this area are private or require permission.
Crooked Lake is a 387-acre lake in the Saranac Lake Wild Forest, accessible by a 1.2-mile trail from NY Route 3. The lake holds brook trout and smallmouth bass; primitive camping is allowed along the shore by NYSDEC permit.
Crystal Lake is a 10-acre water in the Great Sacandaga Lake region — small enough that it doesn't register on most recreational radar, tucked into the southern tier of the Park where the landscape flattens out and the named peaks fade. No fish species data on record, which typically means either limited stocking history or a pond that sees more canoe traffic than casting. The Great Sacandaga corridor is defined more by reservoir access and summer cottage density than by backcountry solitude, and Crystal Lake follows that pattern — a quiet, unassuming water in a zone where the Adirondacks start to feel more like the foothills. If you're looking for it, start with local knowledge and a county map.
Crystal Lake sits tucked in the Old Forge township — a 15-acre pond small enough to slip past most regional guides but large enough to hold its shape on a map. No fish species data on record, which typically signals either neglected stocking history or limited access keeping angler pressure low. The name "Crystal" appears on four different Adirondack waters, so cross-reference coordinates if you're planning a visit; this one holds the Old Forge ZIP code. Worth a scout if you're working through the lesser-known ponds in the Fulton Chain corridor.
Crystal Lake is a 26-acre pond in the Blue Mountain Lake township — small enough to paddle in an hour, tucked into the working-forest landscape south of the hamlet. No fish stocking records on file, which typically means native brookies or nothing, and no established DEC access that shows up in the trail register. The name appears on USGS quads but not in the usual paddling guides, which puts it in that middle category: private-ish shoreline or informal access that locals know and visitors don't. If you're in Blue Mountain Lake for the Adirondack Experience or the public beach, this one stays off the itinerary.
Crystal Lake — 53 acres in the Brant Lake township — sits in the southeastern corner of the Park, where the Adirondack hills begin their slow descent toward the Lake George basin. The lake is residential around most of its shoreline, part of the quieter, less-trafficked network of mid-sized waters that define this stretch of Warren County. No state launch or designated public access, and nofish survey data on file with DEC — a common gap for smaller private lakes in this region. If you're staying locally or know someone on the water, it's a calm-water paddle with wooded shoreline and enough room to stretch out a canoe route.
Crystal Lake sits on the eastern edge of Old Forge village — 84 acres of open water bordered by NY-28 and dotted with seasonal camps along the northern shoreline. The lake gets moderate powerboat traffic in summer (public launch off South Shore Road) and transitions to snowmobile and ice-fishing traffic once the ice sets in January. No fish stocking records or angler surveys on file with DEC, which usually means either legacy brook trout populations or bass/panfish that came in decades ago and never warranted management attention. The lake drains north into the Moose River; paddlers sometimes use it as a warm-up before committing to the longer flatwater runs upstream toward Limekiln or down toward McKeever.
Curtis Lake is a 13-acre water tucked into the Old Forge lake district — small enough that it doesn't appear on most recreation lists, which means it stays quiet even in high summer. No public data on fish species, and access details aren't well documented; local knowledge or a DEC call will clarify whether there's a carry-in launch or if it's landlocked by private holdings. The lake sits in the working forest west of the Fulton Chain, part of the patchwork of small ponds and private timberland that defines the Old Forge backcountry. If you're paddling the area, it's worth a phone call to the regional DEC office before you load the canoe.
