Lower Saranac Lake

There are plenty of good lakes to fish in the Adirondacks, but Lower Saranac is one of the best bass fisheries around! 

How to get there 

There are two main launches to Lower Saranac. The main launch is on Second Pond; it is the site for the Saranac Lake Islands DEC campground. From downtown Saranac Lake, follow Route 3 towards Tupper Lake. After 4 miles turn right into the NYS DEC boat launch, just after the bridge. Second Pond has a hard-surface ramp with parking for 75 vehicles and trailers. From the launch, you will have to boat or paddle through the channel to reach Lower Saranac Lake. 

The second launch is on Ampersand Bay Road right in town in Saranac Lake. This site gives you direct access to the lake, but can really only accommodate hand launching or small motorized crafts. The parking is generally used only for vehicles without trailers.

Fishing

Species found in Lower Saranac include: northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, rainbow trout, and bass, both large and small mouth. The highlight species is largemouth bass.

Largemouth bass season opens the third Saturday in June to November 30 and the daily limit is five with a minimum length of 12 inches. Largemouth bass might be the most popular game fish of all. Bass love to hide in weeds, drops, and rocks — and that's what you will find here. This lake has an average depth of 28 feet and a maximum depth of 50 feet.

There are also state-run campsites on this lake, so plan a trip and stay the night.

Know before you go

This waterbody has aquatic invasive species present. Please do your part to clean, drain, and dry all boats and equipment. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Paul Smith's College Adirondack Watershed Institute runs boat inspections and decontaminations here to assist boaters with checking for aquatic invasive species and safely removing anything found.