Beautiful scenery and beautiful brook trout? Cast a line here!

Getting there

From exit 28 in Schroon Lake follow I-87 north for one exit to the North Hudson exit 29. From here follow Boreas Road west toward Newcomb. Continue for around 0.5 miles to Palmer Pond; this is the first access area to the Branch. Continue up the road to access many more areas. The final access is in the small hamlet of Blue Ridge at the falls.   

Fishing

Shoreline is your only option above Palmer Pond, and from this pond on fly fishing is the best. Locate some of the deeper pools and float a lure downstream. These access points are new to the public as part of a DEC conservation easement, so enjoy the new territory. There is no boat access above Palmer Pond.

Special regulations:

Always Follow State fishing regulations and be sure to pick up a NYS Freshwater Fishing Guide at your local outfitters or regional NYSDEC office. 

Did someone say trout? Palmer Pond is where they're at!

Getting there

From exit 28 in Schroon Lake follow I-87 north for one exit to the North Hudson exit 29. From here follow Boreas Road west toward Newcomb. Continue for around 0.5 miles to the parking near a gate on the east end of the pond and another along the roadside just a bit farther up the road.  

Fishing

There is ample shoreline fishing along the eastern and northern shores; a boat is not necessary to fish this flowage. It's cartop access only; which is the best option for this newly acquired fishing access. This dam-created widening of The Branch is a great location for trout fishing, and a fun time for the entire family. The headwaters are a great place to fish as the cool waters come down from the rapids. 

Fish species types: Brook trout

Special regulations: Always follow state fishing regulations and be sure to pick up a NYS Freshwater Fishing Guide at your local outfitters or regional NYSDEC office. 

This remote fishing spot is just for shoreline fishing; there is no boat access.

Getting there

From exit 28 in Schroon Lake follow I-87 north for one exit to the North Hudson exit 29. From here follow Boreas Road west toward Newcomb. Continue for 9.5 miles to where state land comes in on the left. This point is located as you start to drive down a long hill. A guardrail will come in on the left, part of the way down. Park near the top and locate the path behind it. 

Fishing

The path leading to the pond is very faint and possibly very rarely used. The path to reach the pond is roughly 0.4 miles long. The western portion of the pond, which is the public portion, is the shallowest part of the pond. It is best to use top water lures due to the shallow nature. 

Fish species types: Brook trout, bullhead, panfish, smelt

Most of the eastern portion of the pond is on private land, please respect the landowners privacy. 

Always follow State fishing regulations and be sure to pick up a NYS Freshwater Fishing Guide at your local outfitters or regional NYSDEC office. 

Getting there

From the intersection of Route 9 and Hoffman Road in Schroon Lake, follow Hoffman Road (CR24). Continue on CR24 which eventually turns into Irishtown Road. Take a right onto O’Neill Road in just over 11 miles from Route 9 and a left onto Longs Hill Road (CR24A) . This will bring you to Route 28N in Minerva in roughly 2 miles. Take a right onto Route 28N for 2.5 miles to Northwoods Club Road on the left. Follow Northwoods Club Road for 6.5 miles to the Blue Ridge Trailhead parking on the right. A cartop boat launch is about 0.2 miles further up the road on the left with limited parking.   

Fishing

There are a few areas for shoreline fishing; along the Blue Ledge Trail and off Northwoods Club Road. Casting room is limited in many areas making this pond best fished from a canoe or kayak.  

Best fished from a canoe or kayak; motorboats not allowed in the primitive area. The deepest part of the pond is right in the middle of the widest portion on the east end. While brook trout don’t prefer deeper waters it is much easier to cast from a small boat than from shore. The boat will also allow you to access the west end of the pond. The very west end of the pond is private property so please respect. 

Paddling

The launch is small and a slight carry down but not steep by any means. The eastern shore is private property so please respect. This would be an excellent pond for SUP’s or learning to paddle due to its usually calm features. On really bad weather days it can get choppy but being so close to shore the entire time it’s of no real concern. Enjoy this pond during sunrise as the colors come streaming over the trees, or in fall as the colors pop from the mainly hardwood forests surrounding it.  

This quiet lake is seldom visited, making Balfour Lake a peaceful destination.

Getting there

From exit 28 in Schroon Lake follow I-87 north for one exit to the North Hudson exit, #29. From here follow Boreas Road west toward Newcomb. Continue all the way to Newcomb and Route 28N. Take a left onto 28N and continue for around 8.5-miles to the lake access on the right.

Fishing

There is a limited amount of shoreline fishing that can be accessed by foot; only at the state access point is this capable. Limits to shoreline access limits the amount of decent shoreline fishing, but it is ok for smaller trout and bullhead. You can launch canoes and kayaks from the state launch which is the best way to fish for trout. You may even have a bit of luck with bullhead from a boat, but fish the deeper portions of the lake near the middle for the larger trout.   

Please respect private property where it exists. 

Always follow State fishing regulations and be sure to pick up a NYS Freshwater Fishing Guide at your local outfitters or regional NYSDEC office. 

Even though this fishing hole is near the road, it's still a wonderful spot!

Getting there

From exit 28 in Schroon Lake follow I-87 north for one exit to the North Hudson exit #29. From here follow Boreas Road west toward Newcomb. Continue all the way to Newcomb and Route 28N. Take a left onto 28N and continue for around 6 miles to the parking on the left, just as you cross over the river.

Fishing

There is only shoreline fishing here and it is better if you can wade out a bit to get away from the trees. There is good access on both sides of the road and consider using the Boreas River Trail on the other side of the road to access downstream to Hewitt Eddy. There is a good flatwater around the bridge where trout do tend hang out, but the eddy is decent fishing as well. The trout are not all that large in part of the river but are fun to catch. 

There are three branches of Trout Brook. The North Branch simply flows between Warrens Pond and Big Marsh; the Hoffman Notch Trail follows much of its length. The trailhead is located along County Highway 2b (the Boreas or Blue Ridge Road).

The east and west branch meet farther south and flow along Trout Brook Road, just west of the town of Schroon Lake. Check for access along the length of Trout Brook Road. The state is scheduled to stock 1,300 yearling brook trout in the stream as it flows through the town of Minerva.

Access via Hoffman Notch Trail.

A New York state-designated “recreational river,” the Schroon River is a 68-mile long tributary of the Hudson. It starts near the hamlet of Underwood and flows into the Hudson near Warrensburg.

Fishing

For fishermen, the Schroon River offers a variety of species, including trout (rainbow, brook, brown), largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike and perch. Access is good along both sides of the river just above the town of Schroon Lake through the Alder Meadow Road state access point.

While this portion of the river, to where it empties into Schroon Lake, has many twists and turns and is lined with trees and brush, it’s easily accessed. DEC stocks the river annually with brown trout; special fishing regulations allow fishing for trout, lake trout and landlocked salmon year-round.

Access

A DEC access point is located at Alder Meadow Road:

LAT: 43(Degrees)51'48.15"N

LON: 73(Degrees)45'9.32"W

This tributary of the Hudson River gets its start at Cheney Pond in the town of Minerva. Here, you’ll find native brook trout. Farther down the river, however, the state regularly stocks brown trout each spring. Essex County usually adds larger rainbows and brook trout.

The Boreas empties into the Hudson River just south of the North Woods Club Road bridge. Access is available at several bridge locations.

Fishing

North Woods Club Road bridge

LAT: 43 (Degrees) 49' 0.68" N

LON: 74 (Degrees) 3' 38.88" W

Boreas (or Blue Ridge) Road (County Route 2)

LAT: 43(Degrees) 56' 35.87" N

LON: 73(Degrees)57' 15.08" W

Bass Lake is located in the beautiful Hammond Pond Wild Forest. At 39 acres, it’s not a big lake but a typical backcountry pond. And you’ll find, like many other small lakes and ponds in the Adirondacks, it doesn’t have to be big to be special. Bass Lake is listed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as a top fishing water for rainbow trout. Each year, the state adds about 400 more 8- to 9-inch rainbows. You’ll also find brook trout here, but the real draw for many anglers is the rainbows. Access is via a trail on the west shore off Highway 9.

Getting there

From Exit 29 off of Interstate 87, follow Blue Ridge Road toward North Hudson, take a left onto state Route 9 and follow it north. Continue for 2.5 miles and turn right on Caza Turn Road. Look for an obscure road into the woods just prior to the houses. This is the unmarked trailhead.

Fishing

Bass Lake has beautiful scenery with rocky cliffs. The 1.4 mile hike to the lake leads to a lovely rocky shoreline suitable for casting if a boat was not brought. Bass Lake also has the status of a "reclaimed trout pond" since 1994, which means the use of fish as bait is illegal.

The shortest access for Bass Lake is from the western trailhead outlined above. The trail along the southern shore gets close to several sections of the lake. Faint paths can also access other sections. Some areas of shore have dense vegetation.

The east end of the lake is the deepest part of the lake and can be casted to from the eastern shore.

Always follow New York state fishing regulations, and be sure to pick up a NYS Freshwater Fishing Guide at your local outfitters or regional NYSDEC office.