Cranberry Lake Fishing
A 6,909-acre New York lake in St. Lawrence County.
Pick for brook troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0
Say hello to Cranberry Lake
On the NHD layer, Cranberry Lake spreads across about 6,909 acres in St. Lawrence County. DEC lists the owner as DEC. The nearest village or town on the Census list is Cranberry Lake, around 3 miles off. It is a Western Adirondacks and Eastern Lake Ontario water in DEC terms.
Its DEC roster includes brook trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch and black crappie. 2 mapped launches put boats on it. The DEC launch type reads trailer improved. DEC lists its ice status as ice fishing permitted.
NYS Hydrography (NHD) outline, DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds, Census places, retrieved October 24, 2026.
For the brook trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Species to target at Cranberry Lake
DEC lists, records and stocking rows place these fish in Cranberry Lake.
DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds species column, DEC stocking lists and state records, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Getting on the water at Cranberry Lake
- Public Launch on Cranberry Lakehard surface ramp, 55 car-and-trailer spaces, toilets; managed by DEC
- Cranberry Lake Campground & Day Use Areaunpaved trailer launch, parking: 10 spaces (dec park field); managed by DEC
Nearby ramps if Cranberry Lake is busy
- Public Launch on Lows LakeLows Lake, 6 miles south
- Public Launch on Grass River near Cranberry Lake (east)Grass River, 7 miles northeast
- Public Launch on Big Deer PondBig Deer Pond, 7 miles south
- Five Ponds Wilderness LaunchOswegatchie River, 8 miles west
- Public Launch on Oswegatchie River near Cranberry LakeOswegatchie River, 9 miles south
- Public Launch on Grass River near Cranberry Lake (west)Grass River, 9 miles north
DEC boat launch and fishing access layers, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Sizes and bag limits at Cranberry Lake
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Lake trout | 3; minimum 21" | Apr 1 – Oct 15 |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass (Jun 15 to Nov 30) | 5; minimum 12" | Jun 15 – Nov 30 |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass (Dec 1 to Jun 14) | No harvest; Catch and release only | Dec 1 – Jun 14 |
| Muskellunge | 1; minimum 40" | Jun 1 – Nov 30 |
| Tiger muskellunge | 1; minimum 30" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Northern pike | 5; minimum 18" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Chain pickerel | 5; minimum 15" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Walleye | 5; minimum 15" | May 1 – Mar 15 |
| Black and white crappie | 25; minimum 10" | All year |
| Yellow perch | 50 | All year |
| Sunfish | 25 | All year |
| American eel | 25; minimum 9" | All year |
The rows above repeat the statewide DEC table that applies at Cranberry Lake.
Rules written only for Cranberry Lake
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season | Listed under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pike | 5 | May 1 – Mar 15 | St. Lawrence County |
2026 DEC freshwater fishing regulations (statewide table effective April 1, 2026); county special regulations from the DEC region pages; retrieved October 24, 2026, figures checked against the DEC pages October 25, 2026.
Stocking tallies for Cranberry Lake
The DEC lists carry 6 stocking entries for Cranberry Lake between 2024 and 2025, led by brook trout.
| Year | Species | Type | Entries | Fish | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Brook Trout | stocked | 1 | 15,890 | 4.2 in |
| 2024 | Brook Trout | stocked | 5 | 50,010 | 2.7 in, 3.5 in, 4.7 in |
DEC Fish Stocking Lists (Actual), 2023 to 2025, and DEC Current Season Spring Trout Stocking, 2026 (data.ny.gov), retrieved October 24, 2026. New York stocking.
How Cranberry Lake compares locally
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | DEC species | Stocked 2023-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cranberry Lake | 6,909 | 2 | 7 | yes | |
| Tooley Pond | 9 miles northwest | 48 | 0 | 1 | |
| Little Trout Pond | 10 miles southeast | 49 | 0 | 1 | |
| Pine Pond, St. Lawrence County | 10 miles northeast | 16 | 0 | 1 | yes |
| Horseshoe Lake | 10 miles east | 398 | 1 | 4 | yes |
| Star Lake | 11 miles west | 216 | 1 | 6 | yes |
NYS Hydrography, DEC launch layers, DEC lake list and stocking lists, retrieved October 24, 2026.
The Cranberry Lake neighborhood
Neighboring lakes of Cranberry Lake
- Tooley Pond9 miles northwest
- Little Trout Pond10 miles southeast
- Pine Pond, St. Lawrence County10 miles northeast
- Horseshoe Lake10 miles east
- Star Lake11 miles west
Bait and tackle stops for Cranberry Lake
- Tupper Lake Boat Launchmarina, Franklin, 17 miles
- Raquette River Outfitterssporting goods store, Franklin, 17 miles
- Raquette River Boat Launch aka The Crushermarina, Franklin, 22 miles
- Long Lake State Boat Launchmarina, Hamilton, 24 miles
Overnight options close to Cranberry Lake
- Tupper Lake18 miles
- Gouverneur34 miles
- Canton35 miles
Cranberry Lake and the counties it spans
- St. Lawrence Countycounty seat Canton
Piscifun gear worth stowing for Cranberry Lake
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Photographs of the species found at Cranberry Lake
Photo: Photo by and (C)2007 Derek Ramsey ( Ram-Man ), CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Knepp Timothy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Photo: hug_78, CC BY 2.0
Trip questions for Cranberry Lake
How do I locate Cranberry Lake on a New York map?
The state map puts it in St. Lawrence County, DEC Western Adirondacks and Eastern Lake Ontario, about 3 miles from Cranberry Lake.
How large is Cranberry Lake on New York maps?
About 6,909 acres on the NHD outline.
Where is the public launch at Cranberry Lake?
Yes: 2 mapped launches, including Public Launch on Cranberry Lake.
Which fish turn up in DEC files for Cranberry Lake?
Fish to hope for: brook trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, black crappie and northern pike.
What goes home in the cooler from Cranberry Lake?
Largemouth and smallmouth bass (Jun 15 to Nov 30): 5; minimum 12"; Jun 15 – Nov 30. The DEC region page adds rules for it.
Is a New York license required at Cranberry Lake?
Trout and salmon need no stamp in New York; the DEC freshwater license ($25.00 resident, $50.00 nonresident, $5.00 for residents 70 and older) covers them.
Which hatchery fish go into Cranberry Lake?
Yes, 6 releases, most recently 2025.
Which shop on the list is nearest Cranberry Lake?
Tupper Lake Boat Launch, about 17 miles off.
May I fish through the ice at Cranberry Lake?
The DEC entry reads Ice Fishing Permitted.
Save a date for Cranberry Lake
Fees, seasons and every DEC table are on the license page.