Raquette Lake Fishing
A 5,376-acre New York lake in Hamilton County.
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Introducing Raquette Lake
Roughly 5,376 acres of lake make up Raquette Lake, which sits in Hamilton County. On DEC paperwork the owner is Minicipal. Eagle Bay lies about 10 miles from the mapped lake point. DEC manages it from its Eastern Adirondacks and Lake Champlain region.
Anglers come for brook trout, lake trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and northern pike, by the DEC listing. Trailers and cartoppers go in at 1 mapped launch. Its launch is listed by DEC as trailer improved. On ice: ice fishing permitted.
NYS Hydrography (NHD) outline, DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds, Census places, retrieved October 24, 2026.
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The species shown for Raquette Lake come from DEC paperwork, linked where a New York species page exists.
DEC Recommended Fishing Lakes and Ponds species column, DEC stocking lists and state records, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Slipping a boat in at Raquette Lake
- Golden Beach Campground & Day Use Areahand launch, parking: 50 spaces (dec park field); managed by DEC
Other places to launch around Raquette Lake
- Brown Tract Pond Campground & Day Use AreaBrown Tract Pond, 4 miles southwest
- Public Launch on Forked LakeForked Lake, 4 miles northeast
- Public Launch on Sagamore LakeSagamore Lake, 6 miles south
- Public Launch on Raquette River near Long LakeRaquette River, 8 miles northeast
- Public Launch on Seventh LakeSeventh Lake, 8 miles southwest
- Public Launch on Lake DurantLake Durant, 11 miles east
DEC boat launch and fishing access layers, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Fish you can take home from Raquette 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 |
For Raquette Lake, the statewide freshwater table is the starting point; county listings can tighten it.
Special regulations at Raquette Lake
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season | Listed under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | 2; minimum 21" | All year | Hamilton County |
| Brook Trout | 5 | All year | Hamilton 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.
DEC stocking at Raquette Lake
Stocking files name Raquette Lake in 11 rows across 2023 to 2025, chiefly brook trout.
| Year | Species | Type | Entries | Fish | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lake Trout | stocked | 1 | 5,000 | 6.6 in |
| 2024 | Brook Trout | stocked | 2 | 14,700 | 4.8 in |
| 2024 | Lake Trout | stocked | 1 | 5,000 | 6.6 in |
| 2023 | Brook Trout | stocked | 6 | 51,650 | 2.5 in, 4 in, 4.4 in |
| 2023 | Lake Trout | stocked | 1 | 5,000 | 7.1 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.
Raquette Lake next to neighboring lakes
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Launches | DEC species | Stocked 2023-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raquette Lake | 5,376 | 1 | 5 | yes | |
| Forked Lake | 5 miles northeast | 894 | 1 | 2 | |
| Sagamore Lake, Hamilton County | 6 miles south | 172 | 1 | 0 | |
| Eighth Lake | 6 miles southwest | 306 | 0 | 5 | yes |
| Seventh Lake | 8 miles southwest | 951 | 1 | 4 | yes |
| Blue Mountain Lake | 9 miles east | 1,259 | 0 | 2 | yes |
NYS Hydrography, DEC launch layers, DEC lake list and stocking lists, retrieved October 24, 2026.
Next to Raquette Lake on the map
Ponds and reservoirs around Raquette Lake
- Forked Lake5 miles northeast
- Sagamore Lake, Hamilton County6 miles south
- Eighth Lake6 miles southwest
- Seventh Lake8 miles southwest
- Blue Mountain Lake9 miles east
Lures, line and live bait near Raquette Lake
- Burke's Marinamarina, Raquette Lake, 3 miles
- Fourth Lake Boat Launchmarina, Hamilton, 10 miles
- Long Lake State Boat Launchmarina, Hamilton, 14 miles
Hiring someone who knows Raquette Lake
- Adirondack Mountain Outfittersfishing guide, Adirondack, Indian Lake
- Algonquin Guides, Ltd.fishing guide, Wells
Communities that serve Raquette Lake visitors
- Tupper Lake28 miles
Which county pages include Raquette Lake
- Hamilton Countycounty seat Lake Pleasant
Packing Piscifun gear for Raquette Lake
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
A field guide in photos for Raquette Lake
Photo: Engbretson, Eric, Public domain
Photo: Knepp Timothy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: hug_78, CC BY 2.0
Things people check before fishing Raquette Lake
Where in New York does Raquette Lake lie?
Its outline falls in Hamilton County, DEC Eastern Adirondacks and Lake Champlain, about 10 miles from Eagle Bay.
On state hydrography, how many acres is Raquette Lake?
Around 5,376 acres of water.
Can a trailered boat get onto Raquette Lake here?
There are 1 mapped launch; Golden Beach Campground & Day Use Area is listed first.
Which gamefish swim in Raquette Lake?
DEC lists brook trout, lake trout, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and northern pike.
Has DEC written any water-specific rule for Raquette Lake?
Largemouth and smallmouth bass (Jun 15 to Nov 30): 5; minimum 12"; Jun 15 – Nov 30. It has extra DEC county rules, printed above.
Which DEC license is right for Raquette 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.
In what year did DEC last release fish into Raquette Lake?
It appears 11 times, last in 2025.
Who sells minnows near Raquette Lake?
Drive about 3 miles to Burke's Marina.
What is the ice fishing rule at Raquette Lake?
Its DEC ice entry: Ice Fishing Permitted.
Spend a morning casting at Raquette Lake
Check DEC sizes before a fish goes in the cooler.