Lake Pleasant/Speculator

The Town of Lake Pleasant is surrounded by vast amounts of New York State Forest Preserve: the Silver Lake Wilderness Area, the West Canada Lake Wilderness Area, the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area, and the Jessup River Wild Forest. Many public recreational opportunities exist within the Jessup River Wild Forest and adjacent lands owned by Lyme Timber.

Wholly within the town lies the Village of Speculator, the economic and social center of the town with many dining, lodging, and shopping facilities.  Incorporated in 1925, the village is a center for activities such as downhill skiing, snowmobiling, mountain biking, swimming, tennis, basketball, and much more.  Shortly after World War I, Speculator gained world-wide notoriety when it became the preferred training site for such heavy-weight boxing champions as Gene Tunney ( Gene Tunney ), Max Baer, and Max Schmelling.  For those interested in the history and environment of the area, Speculator also boasts an interpretive river walk called the Sacandaga River Community Park.  This handicapped-accessible pathway is visited and enjoyed by thousands of people each year, and consists of boardwalks and trails winding through an Adirondack wetland.

Speculator has one of the most extensive signed mountain bike trails systems in the Adirondack region. The trail system consists of two bike loops, the larger is 13.7 miles long, and the shorter Kunjamuk Cave loop is 7.2 miles long. All trail signs make reference to the Speculator ball field, in both directions of travel. The larger loop is accessed from all parking lots, which have informational kiosks, where you may obtain detailed trail maps and information regarding the trails.

If it is water activities you are interested in, the Speculator/Lake Pleasant area is home to two lakes, Sacandaga Lake and Lake Pleasant. And there are places to rent canoes, kayaks and motorized boats in the area.

The Sacandaga Lake has many bays and 13.2 miles of shoreline, approximately half of which is Forever Wild state forest preserve. A navigable channel connects Sacandaga Lake with Lake Pleasant. This water is home to panfish and brown and rainbow trout. Sacandaga Lake also has smallmouth bass, walleye and pickerel. Access: Anglers will find public access at Moffitt Beach State Campground.

Lake Pleasant offers clear, natural surroundings with apx. 9.6 miles of shoreline. It has a good population of brown and rainbow trout due to hefty stockings by DEC. Because of a thriving rainbow smelt population, browns and rainbows grow large here. Pickerel can be found in weedy areas. Lake Pleasant is a good bet for trout because both species are all over. During the summer, anglers catch rainbows using lanterns and chumming with corn. Winter anglers catch big browns by using smelt for bait. The lake holds significant numbers of smallmouth bass and offers some excellent early season walleyeAccess: Anglers can access Lake Pleasant from an unpaved town launch bear the outlet at Sacandaga River or from a boat launch on the pavilion side of the Speculator Bridge. Lake Pleasant Marine also has a launch.

Town of Lake Pleasant, Route 8, Lake Pleasant, NY 12108
Phone: 518-548-3625

Village of Speculator, 2875 State Route 8, Speculator, NY 12164
Phone: 518-548-7354