Do you want to know whether there is public access to Sixberry Lake for fishing and boating? In this post, find out everything you need to know about recreating in this beautiful, northern NY lake.
Sixberry Lake is really a very special lake, even by the very high standards of lakes in the Thousand Islands region of upstate New York. There are only a handful of homes on the shore of the lake, no resorts, and only limited public access, which makes this lake a peaceful, natural place to spend some time.
This lake is a popular place for boating and fishing. You will occasionally have company while fishing from shore, but if you have a boat, you can always find your own little spot on the lake away from others.
Where is Sixberry Lake?
Sixberry Lake is located in the town of Theresa, New York, in Jefferson County. Other lakes nearby are Red Lake, Butterfield Lake, and Millsite Lake, into which Sixberry Lake flows.
Sixberry Lake is about a 30-minute drive from Watertown, 2 hours from Ottawa, and just under 6 hours from New York City. There are many other places to have outdoor fun nearby Sixberry Lake, so if you decide to make a visit to the region, definitely consider staying awhile!
Is there public access to Sixberry Lake New York?
Yes, the public is welcome to access Sixberry Lake via the only public access point, which is the Sixberry Lake Boat Launch and Fishing Access Site. The boat launch and fishing spot is located in the town of Theresa, New York off of English Settlement Rd (County Road 21).
This is a hard surface ramp launch with nearby parking for up to 15 cars with trailers. However, there is a strict 10 hp limit.
For Google Directions:
The public access site is located at the end of a gravel drive that is easy to navigate, as long as you don’t drive too fast. Be careful to follow the signs closely because the road forks and the drive to the left is a private driveway.
There is also private property on each side of the road leading to the launch, as well in most of the shore of the lake – except for the small area allotted for public access.
What type of fish can you catch at Sixberry Lake?
Sixberry Lake has plentiful northern pike, smallmouth bass, landlocked salmon, yellow perch, blue gill, as well as lake trout and even walleye.
My family loves to go fishing at Sixberry Lake because of the peaceful atmosphere. You can almost always hear loons during the early evening hours, which I think sound really neat echoing over the lake.
Maybe we also love the idea that we could also possibly catch salmon, which seems like a cool idea. We haven’t had luck with them yet – everyone we meet says you have to get your lures pretty deep to catch the salmon at this lake, which is hard to do from shore.
How deep is Sixberry Lake?
Sixberry Lake is one of the deeper lakes in the area, measuring an incredible 90 feet deep at its deepest. The mean depth is still very deep, at 46 feet.
Do fish get bigger in deeper water? Maybe it is because the deeper the fish, the harder they are to catch.
Regardless, it is a well-known fact that lake trout like deep water. It’s a good thing that Sixberry Lake has deep water for big fish like lake trout to hide out.
This is much deeper than Payne Lake (max depth 15 feet), Yellow Lake (max depth 13 feet) or even Red Lake (max depth 47 feet) , for example, which are three nearby lakes.
How did Sixberry Lake get its name?
Sixberry Lake is named after Robert Sixberry, a man who came to live in Jefferson County in 1778, when he was only 14 years old. According to his obituary, he lived in the Theresa and Evans Mills area nearly alone, hunting and trapping.
There were already Native Americans living in the region prior to the arrival settling of this part of New York by European-Americans. There are at three tribes that have a shared history in Jefferson County, and so Sixberry Lake was likely known by different names prior to the 1800s.
Regardless, Robert Sixberry was likely the first European-American person to visit the lake that we know as Sixberry Lake, and as such, the name retains his name to this day.
When I first visited Sixberry Lake, I imagined that the lake was named after some mysterious plant native only to this part of New York. Alas, I was a bit disappointed to learn the real origin of the name, since there is no delicious cold-climate plant that inspired the name “Sixberry”.
However, it’s still a beautiful lake, regardless of the name or where the name came from.
Can you ice fish on Sixberry Lake?
According to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, ice fishing for both trout and salmon is allowed on Sixberry Lake. It is very important to follow safety precautions when ice fishing, so be sure to consult an expert in ice fishing who can help get you started.
Conclusion
I hope that you have learned all that you wanted to know about the Sixberry Lake Fishing Access Site and Boat Launch. It’s a beautiful lake, and definitely worth visiting if you are in the Theresa or Redwood area, or if you are looking for things to do in the Thousand Islands region.
If you have any questions about this location, or about something that you read in this article, please join in the discussion below and I will try to help find the answer for you.
Thanks for reading today!