Every named pond in the Adirondack Park — quiet waters, lean-to destinations, swimming holes. Browse by region or jump to a name.
Tennis Court Pond is a 2-acre pocket water in the Indian Lake region — small enough that it likely earned its name from shape or size rather than any actual sporting history. No fish species data on file, which typically means it's either too shallow for reliable trout habitat or simply unmapped by DEC survey crews. These minor ponds in the central Adirondacks often sit tucked behind private land or require local knowledge to reach; without public access documentation, it's worth checking with the Indian Lake town office or regional DEC outpost before planning a visit. If you find it accessible, expect a quiet, low-traffic water — the kind of place where a canoe and a quiet afternoon are the whole point.
The Vly sits in the Indian Lake township — a 26-acre pond with a name that nods to the old Dutch word for wetland or marsh, a term that shows up on maps across the original Hudson River drainage. No fish stocking records on file, and the lack of documented access or nearby trail infrastructure suggests this is either private, landlocked by surrounding parcels, or buffered by enough rough ground to keep it off the casual paddler's list. In a region dense with larger waters and state-managed access points, The Vly reads as a cartographic placeholder — present on the map, absent from the guidebooks. If you're determined to reach it, start with the Indian Lake town office or a local real estate broker who knows the parcel lines.
Thumb Pond is a 49-acre water in the Indian Lake township — part of the loose constellation of ponds and wetlands that sprawl west and south of the hamlet, away from the harder-edged High Peaks country. No fish species data on record, which often signals either limited access or minimal stocking history; many of these mid-sized ponds in the southern Adirondacks hold wild brookies or yellow perch that never make it into the DEC surveys. The name suggests some cartographic logic — a bulbous shape on the topo, a branching inlet, a peninsula — but without a marked trailhead or nearby lean-to, this is more of a local or bushwhack destination than a weekend traffic magnet. Worth checking the Indian Lake town maps or asking at the hardware store if you're serious about finding it.
Twin Ponds sits in the Indian Lake region — a 15-acre water without much public record, and likely split into two connected basins (hence the name). No fish stocking data on file, no marked trailhead in the DEC system, which usually means either private-land situation or deep-woods bushwhack territory. Worth noting: the Indian Lake Wild Forest holds dozens of small ponds like this one — named on the map, fished by locals who know the route in, invisible to the casual hiker. If you're working from a topo and a compass, bring a friend who's done it before.
Twin Ponds sits in the Indian Lake township — a small, 13-acre water in a region dense with remote ponds and working forest. No fish species on DEC record, which typically means either unstocked native brookies or a seasonal pond that doesn't winter over reliably. The name suggests a pair of connected basins or a neighboring twin just off the maps — common in this stretch of the central Adirondacks where wetlands, beaver work, and old logging roads blur the line between pond and marsh. Access details are scarce; if you're heading in, confirm the route with the Indian Lake town office or a local who knows the private-land boundaries.
