Washington County Ice Fishing
The table below lists the lakes and ponds in Washington County that are open to ice fishing. Please note that some waters are privately owned and it is the angler's responsibility to obtain the necessary permissions before fishing these waters.
Ice Fishing Seasons:
- November 15 - April 30 - for those species in the General Angling Regulations for which there is no closed season or no minimum length.
- November 15 - March 15 - for northern pike, pickerel, tiger muskellunge and walleye.
Two (2) hand lines and five (5) tip-ups may be used, except if noted in the Special Regulations section. All tip-ups must be marked with the name and address of the operator; the operator must be present when lines (either tip-ups or hand lines) are in the water. Ice shanties must be marked on the outside with the owner's name and address in letters at least three inches high. Shanties must be removed from all waters by March 15.
Note: Special regulations apply to waters with links.
| Water | Town | Ownership | Species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacon Pond | Fort Ann | Private | NP, YP |
| Barkley Pond | Hebron | Private | Pks, YP, NP |
| Brown's Pond | Whitehall | Private | YP, RB, Pks |
| Carter Pond | Greenwich | Public | Bgs, Pks, BC, NP |
| Copeland Pond | Fort Ann | Private | YP, NP, Pks |
| Cossayuna Lake | Argyle | Public/Private | BC, Bgs, Pks, YP, NP, T.Musky |
| Hadlock Pond | Fort Ann | Private | YP, BC, Pks, NP |
| Hedges Lake | Jackson | Private | NP, YP, BC, Bgs, Pks |
| Hudson River | Fort Edward, Greenwich, Easton | Public/Private | WAE, NP, YP |
| Lake Champlain | See Lake Champlain link at top of page | ||
| Lake George | Putnam, Dresden, Fort Ann | Public/Private | LT, LLS, RT, BT, NP, C.Pkl, BC, YP, Bgs, Pks |
| Lake Lauderdale | Jackson | Public/Private | T.Musky, Pks, Bgs, BC, YP |
| Lily Pond | Hartford | Private | NP |
| Martin Ponds | Granville | Private | NP, Pks |
| McDougall Lake | Greenwich | Private | YP, Pks |
| Schoolhouse Lake | Jackson | Private | YP, BC |
| Scott Lake | Salem | Unknown | YP, Pks, BC, NP |
| Summit Lake | Argyle | Private | YP, Pks, BC |
| Three Ponds | Fort Ann | Private | NP, YP, Pks |
| Thurber Pond | Fort Ann | Private | YP, Pks |
| Wall Street Pond | Kingsbury | Public | C.Pkl, YP, Pks, RB |
All Washington County waters: Pickerel, 1st Saturday in May - March 15, any size, limit of 5
The use, or possession for use, of alewife and blueback herring as baitfish is prohibited in all Washington County waters.
Fish Species Key
- BC - Black crappie
- Bgs - Bluegill
- BT - Brown trout
- C.Pkl - Chain pickerel
- LLS - Landlocked salmon
- LT - Lake trout
- NP - Northern pike
- Pks - Pumpkinseed
- RB - Rock bass
- RT - Rainbow trout
- T.Musky - Tiger muskellunge
- WAE - Walleye
- YP - Yellow perch
| Water | Species | Season | Length | Limit | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake George | LT | All year | 23" | 2 | Ice fishing permitted |
| LLS | All year | 18" | 2 | ||
| Trout* | All year | Any | 5 |
*Trout = brook, brown and rainbow; and hybrids of these species; and splake
| Water | Special Regulations |
|---|---|
| Lake George | Use of live bait permitted. Possession or use of smelt as bait is prohibited. |
| Hudson River, from Troy Dam upstream to Bakers Falls in the Village of Hudson Falls, and its tributaries in this section to first barrier impassable to fish | All species, all year: Catch and Release Fishing Only. All fish must be returned to the water immediately. Minnows, killifish, mudminnows, darters, sticklebacks, stonecats, smelt and suckers may be possessed for use as fish bait. Ice fishing permitted. Tip-ups are permitted |
