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.
Sacandaga Lake is a 29-mile reservoir formed in 1930 by the Conklingville Dam — the largest body of water in the Adirondacks by surface area. Marinas and public launches ring the shore; motorboats permitted, and summer draws heavy recreational traffic.
Sacandaga Lake covers 1,605 acres near Speculator — smaller and quieter than Great Sacandaga Lake to the south. Smallmouth bass, northern pike, and yellow perch; public access and calm water suit families learning to fish or paddle without remote logistics.
Sagamore Lake is a 1,163-acre body of water in the central Adirondacks, historically part of the Sagamore Great Camp estate. Access is via Sagamore Road — the lake sees moderate boat traffic and holds smallmouth bass, northern pike, and panfish.
Saint John Lake is a 35-acre water in the Speculator region — small enough to feel tucked away, large enough to hold a canoe for an afternoon. No fish stocking records on file, which typically means either native brook trout that don't need help or a pond that winterkills and runs fishless most years. The lake sits in the central Adirondacks' lake-dense corridor, where the topography flattens out and the ponds multiply — less granite drama than the High Peaks, more forested shoreline and quiet paddling. Access details are thin, but most waters in this zone are either private or reached by unmarked trails known primarily to locals.
Saint Regis Pond is a 271-acre body in the St. Regis Canoe Area, accessible only by paddle — no motors allowed. Part of a chain of interconnected ponds; lean-tos at designated sites, popular for multi-day canoe loops.
Salmon Lake is a 96-acre water body in the West-Central Adirondacks, accessible by a moderate 1.2-mile trail from NY Route 28. The lake holds brook trout and offers primitive shoreline camping — quiet water, minimal traffic.
Salmon Lake is a 164-acre body of water in the northern Adirondacks, accessible by a 0.8-mile trail from the Salmon Lake trailhead. The lake holds brook trout and offers primitive shoreline camping — a quiet base for paddling or fishing away from road noise.
Sampson Lake is a 64-acre water in the Speculator region — quieter country than the High Peaks corridor, less traffic, fewer marked trails threading through. The lake sits in working forest, a mix of private timberland and state land, which means access can shift with easement agreements and property lines; confirm current put-in status before heading out. No fish species data on file, which usually means limited stocking history and minimal angling pressure — worth a cast if you're already in the area, but not a destination fishery. Most paddlers who find Sampson are either locals with longstanding access or through-hikers connecting longer backcountry routes in the southern Adirondacks.
Sand Lake is a 115-acre body of water in the southern Adirondacks, accessible by a short portage from Sand Lake Road. Stocked with brook trout and open to non-motorized craft, it offers a quiet paddle with primitive shoreline camping by permit.
Sand Lake is a 103-acre body of water in the central Adirondacks, accessible by a 1.2-mile trail from Piseco-Powley Road. The lake holds brook trout and offers primitive shoreline camping — quiet water, minimal traffic.
Sand Lake is a remote body of water in the Five Ponds Wilderness, accessible by a 7-mile hike from the Stillwater Reservoir trailhead. The lake holds brook trout and offers primitive shoreline camping under NYSDEC permit.
Sand Lake sits off the eastern shore of Great Sacandaga Lake — a 53-acre water in the southern Adirondacks that predates the reservoir's 1930 flooding but survived in its own pocket. The lake holds to the quieter, less-developed character of the pre-reservoir landscape: wooded shoreline, seasonal camps, no formal public beach or boat launch advertised on state maps. Access typically means knowing someone with property or launching a kayak from one of the Sacandaga's public sites and paddling in via the connecting channel. No fish species on record with DEC, which in this region usually means limited stocking history and whatever holdover populations adapted after the reservoir reshaped the drainage.
Sand Lake is a small, 24-acre water in the Speculator region — one of those mid-sized ponds that sit between the mapped trail networks and the deeper backcountry. No fish records on file, which usually means light pressure or catch-and-release ethics among the few who fish it. Without curated nearby trails or lean-tos in the database, this is a local's pond — the kind of place you hear about at the hardware store or find by studying the quads. Access details matter here; check with the town or DEC before you go.
Sanford Lake is a 1,445-acre reservoir in the central Adirondacks, created in 1898 when a dam was built at the outlet of the former Harris Lake. The shoreline is largely undeveloped and accessible by paddle; a carry-in launch sits off Tahawus Road near the dam.
Saratoga Lake — 3,880 acres straddling the Saratoga County line — is one of the largest lakes in the southern Adirondack region and pulls a mix of motorboat traffic, summer cottages, and public access from multiple launch points along the shore. The lake sits just outside Saratoga Springs proper, which means it's more suburban-recreational than backcountry: expect development on the east and west shores, marinas, and weekend ski boats. Historically a warmwater fishery, though specific species data for the lake isn't centrally cataloged. Multiple state-managed access sites ring the perimeter, so getting a boat in the water is straightforward — just don't expect solitude in July.
Schoolhouse Lake is a 13-acre pocket water in the Lake George region — small enough to hold its quiet even in summer, tucked away from the main corridor traffic that funnels through Bolton Landing and the lakefront villages. The name suggests an old district schoolhouse nearby, a common Adirondack pattern where one-room schools marked settlement crossroads before consolidation, but the shore today is private residential with no public launch or trail access in the DEC inventory. This is lake-country topography, not mountain terrain — gentle ridges, mixed hardwood and pine, the kind of water that shows up on a topo map but rarely in a trip report. If you're mapping every named water in the Park, Schoolhouse Lake checks the box; if you're planning a paddle or a hike, keep looking.
Schroon Lake runs nine miles north-south along US-9 between Pottersville and the village of Schroon Lake — 4,200 acres of open water with a long history as a resort destination and one of the few large lakes in the Park with consistent highway access along its entire western shore. The lake supports a year-round population and a summer tourism economy: marinas, public beaches, boat launches at multiple points, and enough open water to keep the motorboat traffic dispersed. Unlike the remote ponds tucked into the High Peaks, Schroon Lake is a working lake — fishing tournaments, water skiing, public access ramps that fill on holiday weekends. For stillwater paddling without a shuttle, the Schroon River inlet at the south end offers a quieter option.
Schroon Lake covers 4,233 acres in the eastern Adirondacks and drops to 152 feet — deep enough for lake trout and landlocked salmon alongside smallmouth bass. Multiple public launches and calmer traffic than Lake George make it a practical choice for families and anglers seeking clear water without the crowds.
Scott Lake is a 28-acre pond in the Lake George Wild Forest — tucked into the low hills west of the main lake corridor, far enough off the tourist track that it sees more local use than through-traffic. No formal DEC records on fish populations, which usually means either brookies that aren't worth stocking over or a pond that's gone acidic and quiet. Access details are sparse in the state files, but these smaller Wild Forest lakes typically come with either a rough two-track or a short unmarked path from a nearby seasonal road. Worth a scout if you're working through the Lake George backcountry systematically; expect solitude and no guarantees.
Second Lake is the middle body in the Fulton Chain of Lakes, a 464-acre water open to motorboats and paddlers. Access from Old Forge or Inlet; popular for fishing smallmouth bass and northern pike in season.
Second Lake is a 503-acre pond in the Fulton Chain, the second body of water along the eight-lake sequence west of Old Forge. Motorboats allowed; popular for bass and northern pike fishing, with access via launch at First Lake and passage through a narrow channel.
Second Lake lies in the Fulton Chain, a series of eight connected lakes in the central Adirondacks. Motorboats allowed; popular for fishing (bass, pike, perch) and paddling between First and Third Lakes via navigable channels.
Second Lake is a 16-acre pocket water in the Lake George Wild Forest — small enough that it doesn't pull the crowds from the larger namesake lakes in the region, but large enough to hold a canoe or kayak for an afternoon paddle. The lake sits in forested terrain typical of the southeastern Adirondacks: mixed hardwoods, modest relief, and the kind of quiet that comes from being neither a highway pull-off nor a trailhead destination. No fish species on record, which likely means limited stocking history and minimal angling pressure. Access details are sparse — check with the local DEC office or the Bolton Landing ranger station for current trailhead information.
Second Pond is a backcountry water in the St. Regis Canoe Area, accessible by a short portage from First Pond. Lean-tos on the south shore; primitive and quiet, with posted carry routes to Third Pond and beyond.
Seventh Lake is the largest of the Fulton Chain Lakes at 1,155 acres, tucked between Sixth Lake and Eighth Lake in the central Adirondacks. Boat launch at Inlet; popular for bass and northern pike; shoreline campsites available by reservation through NYSDEC.
Seventh Lake is the largest lake in the Fulton Chain, stretching 935 acres in the central Adirondacks near Inlet. Accessible by NY Route 28 with public boat launch; landlocked salmon and lake trout, plus developed campgrounds on the north shore.
Shadow Pond is a small backcountry water tucked between Ampersand Mountain and Saranac Lake village — typically accessed via the Ampersand Mountain trailhead. The pond sees light use; no formal trail leads to its shore, making it a quiet detour for hikers willing to bushwhack the final stretch.
Shallow Lake is a remote backcountry water in the Adirondack interior, accessed by bushwhack or unmarked paths. No motorboats, no maintained access — purely for those comfortable navigating without trail markers.
Sheriff Lake sits tucked in the western outskirts of Speculator — a 59-acre pond that falls into the category of small backcountry waters that don't generate much chatter but hold their own for paddlers looking to avoid the Sacandaga corridor crowds. No fish data on record, which typically means either light stocking history or a pond that's been off the survey rotation for years — worth a call to the Region 5 DEC office if you're planning to fish it. Access details are sparse in the standard guides, but most waters in this drainage connect to the town via seasonal logging roads or unmarked carries; expect to do some map work. The name suggests old surveyor or settlement history, common in this part of the park where 19th-century land parcels carried the surnames of early loggers and trappers.
Sherman Lake is a 30-acre water in the Paradox Lake region — one of the smaller named lakes in a drainage that trends toward long, narrow glacial valleys and low-elevation shoreline access. No fish species on record, which typically means either unstocked private water or a seasonal pond that doesn't hold trout through summer. The name suggests old settlement-era history, common in this corner of the park where farming and iron mining left a patchwork of private holdings and state land. Worth checking DEC atlases for access status before you drive.
Sherman Lake is a 122-acre body of water in the northern Adirondack foothills, accessed via a roughly 1-mile bushwhack from the nearest maintained trail. The lake holds brook trout and sees minimal pressure — no official campsites, true backcountry conditions.
Silver Dawn Lake is a seven-acre pocket in the Old Forge township — small enough that it doesn't show up in most fishing or paddling guides, quiet enough that it stays off the day-tripper circuit. No species data on file with DEC, which usually means limited stocking history and limited access, though private inholdings and camp leases dot much of the Old Forge lake country and complicate the picture. The lake sits in the working forest landscape south and west of the main hamlet, where dirt roads and logging corridors outnumber marked trailheads. If you're heading out, confirm access and ownership before you launch.
Silver Lake is a 90-acre lake in the northern Adirondacks, accessible by trail from Hawkeye. The water is clear and shallow, good for paddling but limited for fishing — mostly small panfish and the occasional bass.
Silver Lake sits in the southern Adirondacks off NY-30 near the Great Sacandaga — a 77-acre lake in a region better known for reservoir recreation than remote paddling. The lake has residential development along portions of the shoreline, typical for waters in the Sacandaga corridor, and serves as a local fishing and small-boat access rather than a backcountry destination. No public fish stocking records on file, but warmwater species (bass, perch, panfish) are the standard assumption for lakes of this size and elevation in the region. Access details and launch protocols vary — check with the town of Edinburg or local outfitters for current put-in options.
Silver Lake is a 110-acre lake in the northern Adirondacks, accessible by a 2.7-mile trail from the Silver Lake Road trailhead. The water holds brook trout and sees light use — a quiet paddle-in destination with primitive camping on the west shore.
Silver Lake sits just off NY-28 south of Old Forge — a 60-acre oval tucked between the highway and the outlet flow toward the Moose River. It's small-lake Old Forge: quiet shoreline, a handful of seasonal camps, a put-in for kayaks and canoes, and the kind of water that gets overlooked when paddlers default to the Fulton Chain or Fourth Lake. No fish species on record in the DEC database, which suggests it's either under-surveyed or marginal habitat — worth a cast if you're exploring, but not a destination for serious anglers. Access is roadside; expect company on summer weekends but open water by midweek.
Sis Lake is a 24-acre pocket in the Old Forge township — small enough to stay off most regional itineraries but large enough to hold interest if you're working through the back roads west of the Fulton Chain. No fish data on record with DEC, which typically means light stocking history and light fishing pressure, though that's conjecture until you wet a line. The lake sits in mixed private and association land; access details aren't widely published, so assume gated or posted unless you're staying at a neighboring camp. Worth a knock on a door if you're local — these quiet Old Forge waters sometimes fish better than their reputation suggests.
Sixth Lake is the largest of the Fulton Chain, covering 1,112 acres in the central Adirondacks. Motorboat access from the state launch on Route 28; summer camps line the shore, but the lake's size spreads traffic and the north bays hold quiet water.
Sixth Lake is a 502-acre Fulton Chain lake with public boat launch, shoreline campsites, and a mix of motorboat traffic and paddlers. Smallmouth bass and northern pike in open water; launch from Inlet or paddle the chain west from Fifth Lake.
Snag Lake is a 12-acre pocket water in the Speculator region — small enough that it doesn't pull crowds, remote enough that access details stay local knowledge. The name suggests a history of blowdown or beaver work reshaping the shoreline, common in these mid-elevation waters where storm events and drainage patterns rewrite the landscape every few decades. No fish stocking records on file, which usually means either native brookies held on in the inlet streams or the lake went acidic and quiet sometime in the last century. Worth a stop if you're already in the area with a canoe and a taste for exploration.
Snyder Lake is a 16-acre pocket water in the Old Forge area — small enough that it doesn't draw crowds, but large enough to hold your attention for an afternoon of paddling or bank fishing. No fish species on record, which in Old Forge terms usually means it's stocked periodically or holds whatever survives the winter kill cycle in shallow Adirondack ponds. The lake sits in a region dense with similar-sized waters, where access is often private or via informal local routes rather than marked state trails. Worth a stop if you're already in the neighborhood and looking for quiet water, but confirm access before you go.
Snyder Lake is an 18-acre water tucked into the Old Forge township — small enough to feel remote, close enough to the Fulton Chain corridor to stay accessible. No fish stocking records on file, which typically means native brookies or nothing, and no formal trail register to suggest heavy foot traffic. The lake sits in that middle zone of the western Adirondacks where the High Peaks drama gives way to working forest and private inholdings — less alpine theater, more quiet paddle or bushwhack. If you're sorting Old Forge options by solitude rather than amenities, Snyder Lake earns a second look.
South Creek Lake sits in the Old Forge township — 54 acres, no public access data on file, no fish stocking records in the DEC database. It's one of dozens of small waters in the Fulton Chain corridor that exist in a middle ground: named, mapped, but not promoted, not trailhead-signed, not part of the canoe-route marketing. If you're holding a deed or a topo map with a put-in marked, you know what you have. For the rest of us, it stays on the list as a name and an acreage until someone sends coordinates.
South Lake sits in the central Adirondacks at 1,762 feet elevation, accessible via a moderate 2.4-mile trail from Route 28N. Clear water, rocky shoreline, and a lean-to make it a reliable overnight destination for paddlers and hikers.
Spectacle Lake is a seven-acre pocket water in the Old Forge area — small enough that it reads more like a wide spot in a stream than a destination lake, but large enough to hold its own name on the DEC inventory. No fish species data on file, which typically means it's either too shallow to hold trout through summer or it's been off the stocking rotation long enough that whatever was there has since faded from the record. The name suggests a historical quirk — twin lobes, a figure-eight shape, or maybe just a surveyor with a sense of humor. Worth confirming access and ownership before planning a visit; plenty of small waters in this region sit on private land or require permission.
Spectacle Lake sits in the southern Adirondacks near the Great Sacandaga basin — a 211-acre water that holds its quiet in a region better known for the reservoir's sprawl and summer cottage density. The lake doesn't appear in DEC fish stocking records, which typically means it's either a private holdout or a warmwater fishery managed by natural reproduction rather than hatchery trucks. No trailhead infrastructure or lean-to sites show up in the state system, so access is likely via local roads or private easement — worth a call to the nearest town clerk or DEC office before you load the canoe. In this corner of the Park, what looks like public water on a map isn't always open water on the ground.
Spitfire Lake is a remote backcountry water reached by unmarked bushwhack from the nearest trail. No maintained access, no facilities — navigation skills required.
Split Rock Lake is a 15-acre pond in the Speculator area — small enough that it flies under the radar of the summer rental crowd, big enough to hold a decent population of whatever swims in it (no fish species data on file with DEC, which usually means it's either too shallow for a sustainable trout fishery or it's been overlooked). The name suggests either a prominent glacial erratic or a split ledge formation somewhere along the shoreline — the kind of landmark feature that gave half the ponds in the western Adirondacks their names in the 1800s. Access and ownership details are thin, which in this part of Hamilton County often means private shoreline or a grown-over logging road that requires local knowledge to find.
Spoon Lake is a six-acre pond in the Speculator region — small enough that "lake" feels generous, tucked into working forest land where public access (if it exists) isn't formalized or widely documented. No fish stocking records, no marked trails in the state's official databases, which usually means private land or a walk-in bushwhack known mostly to locals with property nearby. These off-the-grid waters are common in the southern and western Adirondacks, where the old logging-camp ponds were never absorbed into the state forest preserve. If you're curious, start with the town clerk in Lake Pleasant — they'll know whether the shoreline is accessible and whether anyone still calls it by name.
Spring Lake is a 13-acre water in the Saranac Lake region — small enough to feel contained, large enough to paddle without circling back every ten minutes. No fish stocking records on file, which typically means wild brookies or nothing, though the DEC database has gaps in coverage for ponds this size. The lake sits in a cluster of similarly scaled waters that define the mid-density residential zone south and west of the village — more neighborhood access than trailhead drama. Worth checking local knowledge on put-in points if you're boat-shopping the area.
Spruce Lake is a 49-acre backcountry pond reached via a 1.2-mile trail from Cedar River Road. Brook trout, lean-to camping, and quiet water — motorboats prohibited.
Spy Lake is a 44-acre remote water in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness, reached by a 3.2-mile hike from the Thirteenth Lake trailhead. Brook trout hold in its cool depths; primitive camping on the north shore draws overnight anglers and canoeists willing to carry gear.
Squaw Lake is an 80-acre backcountry water on the Northville-Placid Trail in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness. Hike-in access only; a lean-to sits on the shore, and native brook trout hold in water few anglers reach.
Star Lake is a 1,200-acre lake in the northwestern Adirondacks, straddling the towns of Clifton and Fine. The lake allows motorboats and supports northern pike, walleye, and smallmouth bass; public access via a state launch on the eastern shore.
Stewart Lake is a 19-acre water in the Great Sacandaga Lake region — small enough to paddle in an afternoon, large enough to hold some depth and privacy once you're on it. No fish stocking records on file, and no formal trail infrastructure means access details come down to property lines and local knowledge. Waters in this size range and geography often sit between private camps and town roads, and Stewart follows that pattern: if you're looking at it, you probably know someone who knows the shoreline. Worth a call to the nearest DEC region office in Warrensburg for current access and any updated stocking reports.
Stewart Lake is a 30-acre water in the Lake George corridor — small enough that it sits off the main resort track, but close enough to the lakeshore villages that it's been in private hands or residential use for generations. No public access or DEC records of stocking, which is typical of the mid-sized lakes tucked into the eastern foothills between Lake George proper and the Bolton / Warrensburg back roads. If you're poking around the region looking for named waters on a map, this is one of the dozens that exist more as geographic markers than as destinations — the kind of lake you see from a ridgeline and file away as context, not a put-in. For paddling or fishing in the Lake George watershed, stick to the big lake itself or head west toward the wild ponds in the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness.
Stewarts Bridge Reservoir sits below the Great Sacandaga dam — 200 acres of smallmouth bass, walleye, and northern pike water that sees a fraction of the traffic on the main lake. Public access; anglers who study the structure find steady fishing without the crowds.
Stink Lake sits in the Old Forge town cluster — a 15-acre pond with a name that either warns you off or makes you curious, depending on your tolerance for Adirondack straight talk. No fish stocking records on file, no formal trail system, and no nearby peaks to anchor it in the hiking network, which means it's likely private or tucked into working forestland where access isn't advertised. The name itself is old settler vocabulary — "stink" often referred to stagnant water, beaver work, or sulfur seeps, not necessarily a permanent condition. If you're poking around Old Forge's back roads and see the name on a map, expect low water, shallow margins, and a pond that serves the local ecosystem more than it serves paddlers.
Stone Dam Lake is a 16-acre pond tucked into the Old Forge lake district — small enough to miss on the standard touring maps, quiet enough to feel like a find when you get there. The name suggests timber-era infrastructure, though the dam itself is long gone or submerged; what remains is a shallow, marshy-edged basin that warms early in the season and holds its own as a paddling detour for anyone working the Fulton Chain or the Moose River system. No fish data on file, which likely means it's not stocked and not managed — worth a cast if you're already there, but not a destination for anglers. Access details are sparse; ask locally in Old Forge or check the DEC launch registry if you're planning a visit.
Stony Brook Lake is a 22-acre pocket of water in the Speculator region — small enough that you won't find much written about it, but that's often the point. No fish stocking records on file, which typically means brook trout if anything, or it's simply a quiet paddle with no angling expectations. The lake sits in working forest land where access depends on seasonal roads and local knowledge — the kind of place that rewards a conversation at the town clerk's office or a stop at a nearby sporting goods shop before you commit the drive. If you're hunting solitude over infrastructure, this is the profile.
