Lake George, NY
Hunting & Fishing
Hunting from the Lake George Region
There is big game up in the Adirondacks...deer and bear, to be specific. There are six million acres in the Adirondack Mountains, half of which is New York State land, controlled by the Department of Environmental Conservation, also knosn as DEC. Lake George is nestled in the Southeastern corner of the six million, and therefore visitors see wildlife pretty regularly. Hunters who trod through forests and quietly seek out wildlife will certainly see their fair share of sport as well. For up to the minute information on seasons, regulations and prohibitions, check out the DEC's website...it is very extensive and there are maps to help guide you in understanding the seasons, restrictions, and rules they've implemented in order to manage the wildlife of the Adirondack Mountains. Here is a summary of the main seasons, which you can use from year to year to calculate the dates on which you are allowed to hunt. For exact dates for a specific year, DEC can help you out with that, too.
Hunting Seasons |
| Bowhunting | September 27 through the Friday before the next to last Saturday in October |
| Muzzleloading | One week ending the day before the General hunting season begins |
| Late Archery and Muzzleloader Seasons | First day after the close of the regular season running for nine days. |
| General Season | Third Saturday in November for 23 days. Closes on a Sunday. |
| Turkey | October 1 through 17, but prohibited in some Adirondack areas |
| Early Archery Season | First Saturday in October after Columbus Day through the day before the General (Regular) season begins |
Don't forget your hunting license...it is easy to procure, either with a mail-in form or on the DEC website. If you are feeling civic-minded and have an extra five bucks, you can also purchase a Habitat/Access Stamp to raise public awareness of land conservation, and to donate to the cause. You can also donate your venison to feed the hungry. Check out Venison Donation Coalition, Farmers and Hunters Feeding The Hungry, or the New York State Conservation Council, Inc. All three organizations help administer the Venison Donation Program. You can also just give cash. The venison donation program is meant to not only feed hungry people, but also to help reduce the deer population in New York State by encouraging hunters to fill their deer quotas for the year.
Fishing Lake George
Lake George, Queen of American Lakes
Lake George is large and its glacier formation created a depth of up to almost 200 feet deep in some spots. This means it can support two-tier fishing, cold and warm water. There are holes up to 200 feet deep, and the shores range from beaches to undeveloped land covered by thick brush and trees. The lake is best fished by boat, considering its size and depth in the middle, but you can try your luck from shore, too, on any public lands. This lake is known to have some of the best freshwater fishing in the Northeast, so if you are going to fish any lake rom shore, this is your best bet! Lake George is known to produce ten-pound fish on a regular basis, including some of the most exciting bass fishing in the region.
Get your license from the DEC, either on their website or via mail-in form, and while you're at the website, check out the latest changes in seasons and limits, if any. Here's a summary for quick reference. Keep in mind there are changes every year, so go to the DEC website and consider this list just a general idea of what the regulations are like.
Fishing Seasons |
| Trout | April 1 through October 15 |
| Northern Pike | first Saturday in May through March 15 |
| Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass | third Saturday in June through March 15 |
| Everything Else | You can fish 'em all year long |
Ice Fishing
Lake George is reported by DEC to contain lake trout, landlocked salmon, black bass, northern pike, and yellow perch. Ice fishing is great in wintertime, but around March keep an eye out for thin ice. Of course, you should always keep an eye out, but keep that eye especially keen in March. The bays of the Lake George may still have six or eight inches of ice on them, but the center parts may have very thin ice or none at all, depending on that year's weather. You can jiggle a lure down a drilled hole and get perch. The yellow perch run about seven inches to one foot below the ice. Lake Trout have been caught while ice fishing on Lake George, but this action can be slower than the perch. However, keep hope alive because anglers have caught 10-pounder lake trout up here in March!
If you want to contribute to DEC's efforts at fish management, one thing you can do is to volunteer in their angler diary programs for Lake George. Just record your fishing trips...what you catch and where, and submit it to the DEC and it helps them with their statistics. Check out the info on the DEC website. For Lake George, they are only interested in lake trout and landlocked salmon fishing. Here are the ice fishing regulations for Lake George:
Ice Fishing Regulations for Lake George |
| Fish | Limit | Length |
| Trout | 5 | Any |
| Lake Trout | 2 | 23" |
| Landlocked Salmon | 2 | 18" |
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