Every named pond in the Adirondack Park — quiet waters, lean-to destinations, swimming holes. Browse by region or jump to a name.
Carp Pond is a one-acre pocket water in the Saranac Lake region — small enough that it likely sees more moose traffic than human visitors, and remote enough that it has no fish species data on record with DEC. Ponds this size in the northern Adirondacks tend to be beaver-maintained, tea-colored, and inaccessible except by bushwhack or winter ice, though the name suggests it was once stocked or connected to a larger system. If you're looking for solitude and you know how to navigate off-trail, waters like this deliver — but don't expect a designated path or a place to pitch a tent within sight of the shore.
Carpenter Pond is a nine-acre pocket water in the Saranac Lake region — small enough to miss on a map, quiet enough to have on your own if you find it. No fish stocking records on file, which typically means native brookies or nothing, and the shallow acreage suggests catch-and-release if anything. The pond sits in working forest country rather than designated Wilderness, so access depends on private landowner tolerance and whatever logging roads or old trails happen to thread through. Worth a look if you're already in the area and hunting for stillwater that doesn't show up on the weekend circuit.
Catamount Pond sits in the Saranac Lake region as one of those smaller waters that doesn't appear on most trail maps — 15 acres, no fish stocking records, no obvious trailhead signage. The name suggests old hunting territory or a wildcatter's claim, but details are thin; if you're looking for it, you're either working from a topo map or following someone who already knows the way in. Waters like this tend to be either private-access or bushwhack-only, which keeps them quiet but also means they're not practical day trips for most paddlers. Worth confirming access and ownership before you commit to the hike.
Charlie Pond is a 10-acre water in the Saranac Lake region — small enough that it likely sees minimal traffic, though without formal access data or fish stocking records, it's one of those ponds that exists more on the map than in the trailhead conversation. Waters this size in the Saranac orbit are often private, shoreline-owned, or tucked behind enough wetland and blowdown that they function as navigator's challenges rather than destinations. If you're chasing it, confirm access and ownership before you bushwhack — the best small ponds in the Park are the ones where you're actually welcome.
The Chateaugay River — listed here as a pond, likely referring to a widened section or impoundment along the river's course through the northern Adirondacks — sits in the Saranac Lake region but carries the name of the watershed that drains north toward the Saint Lawrence. The river proper runs cold and remote through sections of state forest land, more often fished by locals than marked on tourist maps. No species data on file, but northern Adirondack rivers in this drainage typically hold wild brook trout in the headwaters and brown trout or pike in slower sections. Access details vary by stretch — check DEC easement maps or ask at a fly shop in Saranac Lake for current put-ins.
Childs Ponds sits in the Saranac Lake region as a quiet 2-acre water — small enough that it lives in the margins of most recreational planning but worth noting for paddlers working the area's pond-to-pond networks or anglers prospecting overlooked stillwater. No fish species on record, which in DEC terms means either unstocked and unsampled or holding wild brookies that haven't made it into the database. The ponds (sometimes mapped as plural, sometimes singular depending on water level) occupy low ground typical of the Saranac Lake basin — forested shoreline, soft bottom, and the kind of solitude that comes from being too small for most people's radar. Worth a look if you're already in the neighborhood and mapping minor water.
Chub Pond is a 9-acre pocket water in the Saranac Lake region — small enough that most paddlers and anglers pass it by for larger options nearby, but that's often the point. No fish data on record, which usually means either unstocked and too shallow for consistent trout survival, or simply off the survey grid. The pond sits in working forest country where access typically means either a short bushwhack from a logging road or permission through private land — the kind of water that rewards local knowledge more than a DEC trailhead sign. Worth a call to a Saranac Lake outfitter or the regional DEC office if you're serious about finding it.
Church Pond is a three-acre water in the Saranac Lake region — small enough that it doesn't appear on most recreational radar, and remote enough that access details are scarce in the public record. No fish stocking data on file, no marked trailheads in the immediate vicinity, no DEC campsites cataloged at the shore. These are the ponds that fill the gaps between the named trails and the tourist corridors — worth knowing exist, but you'll need a topo map and a willingness to bushwhack if you want to stand at the water's edge.
Clear Pond is a 105-acre water in the Saranac Lake region — large enough to matter, quiet enough to stay off most itineraries. The pond sits outside the immediate orbit of the Saranac Lake Wild Forest's marquee destinations, which means it tends to hold its character even on busy summer weekends. No fish species data on file with DEC, which usually signals either unstocked water or a pond that doesn't pull survey attention — worth a scouting trip if you're working the area with a canoe and a topo map. Access details are scarce in the public record; local beta or a stop at a regional outfitter in Saranac Lake village will get you closer to the put-in.
Clear Pond — 85 acres northwest of Saranac Lake village — is one of those mid-sized Adirondack ponds that sits just off the main corridor, close enough to town that it gets some use but far enough that it doesn't draw crowds. No public fishing data on file, which usually means light angling pressure and unstocked water; worth a reconnaissance trip if you're working the ponds between Lower Saranac and the Saint Regis system. The pond is accessible, though access details shift with private holdings in this part of Franklin County — check with local outfitters or the DEC Ray Brook office for current put-in options. If you're paddling the region, Clear Pond makes a quiet alternate to the busier Saranac chain.
Clear Pond is a one-acre water in the Saranac Lake region — small enough that it doesn't appear on most recreational maps and likely tucked into private or limited-access land. The name suggests spring-fed clarity, but without public access or fishery data on record, this is one of those ponds that exists more as a surveyed dot than as a destination. In a region dense with named lakes and established paddling routes, Clear Pond sits quietly off the list — a reminder that not every Adirondack water doubles as a trailhead or a put-in. If you're hunting it down, confirm access and ownership before you bushwhack.
Cooler Pond is a six-acre pocket of water in the Saranac Lake region — small enough that it likely sees more moose traffic than paddlers, and remote enough that it doesn't appear on most recreational radar. No fish data on record, which usually means either marginal habitat or simply too far off the beaten path to draw survey attention. The name suggests either a surveyor's quirk or a long-forgotten local reference — cooling a catch, a spring-fed temperature drop, or just somebody's dry humor on a hot afternoon. Worth a look if you're already deep in the area and curious, but don't expect a trailhead sign.
