If you want to know how about public fishing access to Star Lake New York, you have come to the right place. In this post, you will learn about fishing Star Lake at the public boat launch.
We have been spending a lot of time exploring the St. Lawrence County area in order to find the best places to catch fish. My goal with this article is to help you know what to expect from the boat launch fishing area at Star Lake New York so that you can plan your trip.
This is my family’s first year fishing in St. Lawrence County, and so we have been primarily fishing from the shore in a variety of fishing spots around the area. Perhaps next year we will get a boat and I will update this post with details about all of the amazing fish we catch from the middle of Star Lake.
Where is Star Lake NY?
Star Lake is located in the small town of the same name on State Route 3 in the Adirondack Park in the North Country region of northern New York. This lake is about 5 hours and 30 minutes away from New York City.
Is there public access to Star Lake New York?
Yes, there is public access to Star Lake New York. The general public can access the fishing spot and boat launch on Star Lake for free at the Star Lake Fishing Access Site FWMA Cooperator Area in the small, picturesque town of Star Lake, NY.
There is a small gravel parking lot that has space for about five cars to park. There is a short walk down a gravel driveway to get to the boat launch and fishing spot.
Below, you can see a photograph taken of the gravel driveway down to the boat launch. This photograph was taken from the top of the driveway.
While it is not a steep hill, the driveway does have some spots that are more worn down than others, and so the terrain is not level. However, it is a very short walk.
How to get to Star Lake NY Public Fishing Access
You can find the free public fishing access to Star Lake New York on State Route 3, directly across the street from the town’s only gas station, the Circle K. The coordinates to the fishing access location are 44.159019°N, 75.034862°W.
You can click the link below to automatically open the coordinates in Google Maps to get directions from your location:
Are there fish in Star Lake NY?
Yes, there are fish in Star Lake. This is a healthy, landlocked lake that is well-stocked with a variety of species.
What kind of fish are in Star Lake?
You might be able to catch Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout, Atlantic Salmon, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, or bluegill, while fishing in Star Lake. According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservancy, salmon and trout are stocked regularly at this lake.
During our first time fishing the lake, we caught a big Smallmouth Bass right from the boat launch. I’d love to catch a salmon here, even though they don’t get as big as they do in the rivers (less than 20″, usually).
How did Star Lake NY get its name?
One theory is that the lake is shaped like a star with five points, and thus is named Star Lake. Backing up this theory is the story of how the lake used to be called “Point Lake”, referring to those same points that give it a star shape.
Regardless of how it got its name, it has been called Star Lake since about 1894. I was able to find newspaper articles referring to Star Lake as far back as 1888
How deep is Star Lake?
Star Lake is a deep, cold water, mountain lake with a maximum depth of about 65 feet. The mean depth of the lake is 21 feet.
How big is Star Lake?
Even though Star Lake is deep, the shoreline is only about 5.9 miles long. The area of the entire lake is about 213 acres.
The size of the lake is important to understand, and it may be one of the factors that weighed in New York State’s decision to only allow electric motors in watercraft that operate on the lake.
Where to stay while fishing and boating in Star Lake?
There is a variety of places to stay near Star Lake, New York in order to enjoy fishing or boating at the lake and the beautiful nature surrounding this location. A few suggestions include camping at Cranberry Lake State Campgrounds at Cranberry Lake or Packbasket Adventures in Wanakena.
Both Cranberry Lake and Wanakena are a short drive from Star Lake.
At the time of writing this article, there were 11 homes on Airbnb available to reserve, which is also an option that you could consider.
Is there Ice Fishing on Star Lake NY?
Ice fishing is allowed on Star Lake in Star Lake, New York. You can refer to the New York State Ice Fishing web page to learn more about the species that you are allowed to fish for in the winter at Star Lake and how to do so safely.
Conclusion
I hope that you enjoyed this article and that you learned everything that you wanted to know about Star Lake and how to get free, public access to the lake for fishing and boating.
It’s really a beautiful way to explore the Adirondacks, for sure.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for what to do while we are in Star Lake, be sure to leave a comment below.
Thanks for reading today!