If you want to visit Black Lake, New York, this article will help you understand everything that you need to know about the area. You will learn how to access the lake, where to stay, and more.
Discover:
- How to get to Black Lake, NY
- The most popular campgrounds and cottages in the area
- Details about the lake (like how it got its name!)
- If you can swim in Black Lake
- How to fish Black Lake (and which fish you’ll catch!)
- And more…
Black Lake is a very beautiful, fairly large lake, and we enjoyed exploring the area. Despite the fairly remote location of the lake, there were a surprising number of people enjoying their weekend at the lake.
What town is Black Lake NY in?
Black Lake is located primarily in Hammond, New York in St. Lawrence County, about six miles from the border with Canada. As a large lake, it does technically reach Ruby Corner and Edwardsville, and is very near to Pope Mills.
How to get to Black Lake New York?
The majority of public and private access locations to Black Lake New York are located in the town of Hammond, NY in St. Lawrence County. Hammond, New York can be accessed via County Route 6, north of Redwood.
Larger towns and cities located near Black Lake are Watertown (37 miles), Ogdensburg (21 miles), and Alexandria Bay (15 miles). If you are going to fly to the North Country, you might be interested to know that Ottawa, the capital city of Canada is about 80 miles away to the north, and Syracuse, NY is 100 miles south.
Why is Black Lake called Black Lake?
The origin of the name of Black Lake is with the Mohawk people, an indigenous North American people. In Mohawk, the lake was called Kanientàrhón:tsi, which means “lake is black” in English.
While I do not know exactly why the Mohwak viewed the lake as black. It could be because of the depth and color of the lake.
Interestingly, the Black Lake has no connection with the similarly-named Black River in New York, which is located in nearby Jefferson and Lewis Counties. This river flows into Lake Ontario, and is not connected to the Oswegatchie or Indian Rivers.
How deep is Black Lake NY?
Black Lake is about 40 feet deep at its deepest, and has a mean depth of about 8 feet. This means that the lake is deep enough to allow fish to grow to larger sizes.
How big is New York’s Black Lake?
Black Lake, New York, is a medium-sized lake. While it is not among the largest of New York lakes, it still boasts about 7,593 acres of surface area and more than 60 miles of coastline.
New York is home to, or shares part of, seven of the 100 largest lakes in the United States. While St. Lawrence’s Black Lake didn’t make the list, it is the biggest lake in the county.
It’s big enough for just about anything that you can imagine doing at a lake!
We visited Black Lake during a summer of touring as many of North Country’s lakes as we could. Black Lake was among one of the largest lakes that we visited in upstate NY.
Where to stay in Hammond to visit Black Lake NY?
There are several campgrounds and cottages rentals in and near Hammond, New York that will either allow direct access to Black Lake, or serve as a convenient location for exploring the public access to Black Lake and other nearby activities.
The most popular places to stay in Black Lake New York based on Google Reviews are:
- Back Bay Campground and Cottages (315) 324-5612
- Mc Lear’s Bone Fish Cafe (315) 375-6508
- Pleasant View Cottages (315) 375-6736
If you are an experienced camper and enjoy primitive camping, you could also camp at any number of nearby state forests, including Lonesome Bay State Forest (located near Black Lake), Hickory Lake State Forest, or Pleasant Lake State Forest.
Primitive camping is allowed under certain conditions at these state forests, with the added benefit of being able to access the lakes during the off-season when some of the other camping and lodging locations are closed.
Can you swim in Black Lake NY?
Swimming is not a recommended activity in Black Lake, New York. There is no public beach on this lake, and there is no lifeguard.
In addition, there have been warnings over the past several years about algae blooms in the lake, which would make it unsafe for swimming.
For those who absolutely must have swimming as part of their summer vacation, you might consider visiting one of the region’s public swimming pools.
The closest public swimming pool to Hammond, New York, which is where the public boat launch is located, is the Odgensburg Pool Facility located at 100 Riverside Ave, Ogdensburg, NY 13669, about 25 minutes away from the lake.
Where is the Black Lake public boat launch and fishing access?
Almost all of the property on the shore of Black Lake is private property, and so it is important to be sure to only access the lake through designated public access areas. The public access to Black Lake includes a public boat launch, fishing access, a few benches and a table, all located on a small plot of state land.
However, the boat launch and fishing access area is clean and well-maintained, and even includes a small, outdoor bathroom located near the large parking lot area.
To have the boat launch/fishing access coordinates open automatically on your phone or browser, click the link below:
There is no other public access directly on Black Lake. A GIS parcel search for St. Lawrence County does show that the New York Department of Environmental Conservation owns property with lake frontage that is accessible through the Lonesome Bay State Forest, even thought it does not appear to allow access based on the map of the forest online.
However, accessing Black Lake through the forest land would be challenging because there are no official trails in the forest land.
What species of fish are in Black Lake?
Black Lake is fed by the Indian River and leads to the Oswegatchie River, which ends up in the St. Lawrence River. This means that you will find a variety of fish in Black Lake that are also found throughout lakes and rivers in Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties.
Fish species that are commonly seen in Black Lake include:
- Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass
- Walleye
- Northern Pike
- Black Crappie
- Bluegill
- Yellow Perch
- Brown Bullhead Catfish
We did not have good luck fishing Black Lake from the shore, since the only public fishing access was at the public boat launch. However, we did spot some bullhead catfish in the reeds by the shore and even got a few bites from them.
It was nice to see some catfish, since the typical sunfish (i.e. bluegill, pumpkin seed, and rock bass) have made up the majority of what we have caught this summer.
Fishing has been carefully regulated in St. Lawrence County for more than almost 150 years since the St. Lawrence County Board of Regulators passed an ordinance protecting the Black Lake and its tributaries in 1878.
Nowadays, fishing in the area is regulated at a state level. Be sure to carefully read regulations related to the type of bait and tackle you plan to use, as well as the species you want to fish for.
In addition, the Black Lake is subject to special regulations. You can access the complete guide here:
Is ice fishing allowed on Black Lake New York?
Ice fishing is permitted on Black Lake New York in St. Lawrence County, as of the 2021 fishing regulations guide. If you are an experienced ice-fisher who knows how to safely fish on ice, you might enjoy trying it at this lake.
Conclusion
I hope that you have learned everything that you need to know for planning your visit to Black Lake New York. It is such a beautiful area, and I know that you will enjoy yourself.
If you have any questions about something that you read in this post, or if you have a specific suggestion about what to do at Black Lake, please join in the discussion below.
Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your visit to North Country.