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Lake Alice Wildlife Management Area

huntingtrappingicon for fishing showing a fish and a hookbird viewing areahikinghand boat launchaccess for people with disabilitiesparkingicon key

Lake Alice WMA Locator Map

The primary purposes of Lake Alice Wildlife Management Area (WMA) are for wildlife management, wildlife habitat management, and wildlife-dependent recreation. The area encompasses 1,468 acres. The principal portions of this management area were acquired in two stages from the William H. Miner Foundation-648 acres in 1953 and 750 acres in 1970. Prior to state ownership, the area was primarily used for agriculture and timber harvesting. In addition, water control structures were built along Tracy Brook to generate hydro-electric power. This mosaic of cropland, woodland, and impounded open water provided an ideal base upon which to establish a wildlife management area.

Featured Activities

Hiking

hiking

General information on hiking includes how-to and safety tips and links to rules and regulations.

Please stay on the designated trails to protect the diversity and richness of the plant communities found within this area.

Hunting and Trapping

hunting
trapping

Wildlife Management Unit: 5A

General information on hunting and general information on trapping include how-to and safety tips with links to seasons, rules, and regulations.

Waterfowl, deer, and cotton-tail rabbit entice hunters to Lake Alice while beavers, mink, and muskrats attract the interest of trappers. Pheasants are stocked each fall. Please be sure to abide by all game laws (view hunting seasons and trapping seasons).

Fishing

icon for fishing showing a fish and a hook

General information on fishing includes how-to and safety tips and links to seasons, rules, and regulations.

DEC has stocked Lake Alice and many of the ponds within the wildlife management area with largemouth bass. The warm, weedy waters permit bass to grown quite large. Brown bullhead and sunfish are also abundant in these waters. Fishing is permitted throughout the wildlife management area from shore or car top boats. A hand launch is located next to the main parking area off Ridge Road. Ice fishing is popular on Lake Alice.

Wildlife

bird viewing area

General information on animals includes links to information about birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects that inhabit or migrate through the state.

Bird watching is a popular activity at Lake Alice. Whether its waterfowl during migration, raptors in the open fields, or song birds in the various diverse habitats present at Lake Alice, there are many varieties of bird species to be seen. Trails within the area provide opportunities for hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing for better wildlife viewing. Use the Wildlife Management Area Vertebrate Checklist (PDF) and the Wildlife Management Area Bird Checklist (PDF) as wildlife viewing guides.

Accessible Features

access for people with disabilities

General information on accessible recreation includes links to other locations with accessible recreation opportunities and information on permits for motorized access.


Accessible fishing access and picnic area at
Lake Alice WMA.

Lake Alice WMA features an accessible nature trail loop created with compact stone that begins and ends at the Ridge Road parking lot, creating 2 loops. The 3,500-foot trail brings users to a bridge that crosses a stream below the Lake Alice dam about halfway along the short loop with 2 other viewing stops along the northern portion of trail. The longer loop allows users to cross the bridge and come around to the Lake for some scenic views. Another short path leads to a new accessible waterfowl hunting/wildlife observation blind. Construction of a second accessible waterfowl hunting blind is in progress for 2022. It will be located on the shoreline of West Pond along the accessible nature trail.

People with disabilities who have obtained a DEC Motor Vehicle Access Permit for People with Disabilities may also use an ATV to access the nature trail and beyond for hunting opportunities and the Dam Road (the Lake Alice dike) for fishing opportunities. Both roads can be accessed by crossing a bridge located at the far end (the bottom of the "V") of the nature trail.

Directions

Take Exit 41 of the Adirondack Northway (I-87). Turn west onto Miner Farm Road (Route 191), turn left if coming from the south or turn right if coming from the north.

All Google links leave DEC website.

Lake Alice Brown SIgn
  • Take the Miner Farm Road for 0.5 miles and turn left onto Ridge Road. Take Ridge Road 1.3 miles to the main parking area on the right. The lake can be accessed from this location (44.872°N, 73.480°W) - Get Google Map Driving Directions
  • Two additional parking areas are found on the Miner Farm Road. Continue past the intersection with Ridge Road.
  • Parking areas are located on MacAdam Road. From Miner Farm Road turn left onto Ridge Road as previously described. Travel one mile to the intersection with MacAdam Road. Turning left or right onto MacAdam Road will bring you to these parking areas (44.8765°N, 73.4795°W) - Get Google Map Driving Directions

All coordinates provided are in decimal degrees using NAD83/WGS84 datum.

Rules, Regulations and Outdoor Safety

Practice Leave No Trace Principles (leaves DEC website) when recreating on state land to enjoy the outdoors responsibly; minimize impact on the natural resources and avoid conflicts with other users.

All users of Lake Alice Wildlife Management Area must follow all State Land Use Regulations and should follow all Outdoor Safety Practices for the safety of the user and protection of the resource.

Boundaries and parking areas are clearly marked and any special regulations are conspicuously posted at all access points.

Activity Rules & Regulations

The following activities are not permitted in Lake Alice WMA:

  • Using motorized vehicles, including:
    • all-terrain vehicles
    • snowmobiles
    • motorboats
  • Swimming or bathing
  • Camping
  • Using metal detectors, searching for or removing historic or cultural artifacts without a permit
  • Damaging or removing gates, fences, signs, or other property
  • Overnight storage of boats
  • Cutting, removing, or damaging living vegetation
  • Construction of permanent blinds or other structures such as tree stands
  • Littering
  • Storage of personal property
  • Waterfowl hunting is prohibited within a 100 acre restricted zone (outlined on the map) to provide a resting area for waterfowl

Outdoor Safety Tips

NOTE: Ticks are active whenever temperatures are above freezing, but especially so in the late spring and early fall. Deer ticks can transmit Lyme and several other diseases. More information on deer ticks and Lyme disease can be obtained from the NYS Department of Health (leaves DEC website).

How We Manage Lake Alice Wildlife Management Area

wildlife restoration logo

Like most of the state's Wildlife Management Areas, Lake Alice WMA is managed by DEC's Division of Fish and Wildlife for wildlife conservation and wildlife-associated recreation (hunting, trapping, wildlife viewing, and photography). Funding to maintain and manage this site is provided by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration or "Pittman-Robertson" Act, which is acquired through excise taxes on sporting arms, ammunition, and archery equipment.

Today, Lake Alice is managed by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for a variety of recreational and scientific purposes, including: natural resources education, wildlife observation and photography, fishing, trapping, hunting, and canoeing. One of the primary objectives is to provide nesting and feeding habitat for a variety of waterfowl.

Management techniques such as the construction of potholes, dikes, and islands, as well as ditching and shoreline clearing have greatly increased the amount of waterfowl nesting and feeding habitat at the site. As a result of these efforts, wood ducks, black ducks, mallards, mergansers, teal, and Canada geese are readily observed on the management area. In addition, wood duck nest boxes have been erected throughout the area. These artificial nest locations mimic the natural, but scarce, tree cavities utilized by this species of duck.

Lake Alice Wildlife Management Area consists of an assortment of ecological communities ranging from emergent marsh to hemlock-northern hardwood forest. This variety in habitat allows the area to support diverse fish and wildlife populations. The DEC employs various management techniques within some of these different habitats to improve breeding and feeding conditions for numerous wildlife species.

One of the ecological communities present is the northern hardwood forest. The DEC is utilizing patch clear-cuts on approximately 70 acres of northern hardwoods to produce a mosaic of forest canopy levels on the management area. By cutting 16 separate 2.5 to 5 acre plots over a 40 year rotation, a variety of cover types can be generated at the site. This type of timber management provides habitat for ruffed grouse, a bird species which requires clearings and dense young hardwoods for nesting and brood rearing, while requiring more mature stands for courtship and roosting. The habitat created in this area is also suitable for wild turkeys, woodcock, and deer.

View the Habitat Management Plan for Lake Alice Wildlife Management Area (PDF), approved in April 2019, which identifies the WMA-specific target species and habitat goals for the WMA.

Nearby State Lands, Facilities, Amenities & Other Information

Web links below can provide information about other recreation, attractions, and amenities in this area.

Gas, food and supplies, dining, and lodging is available in the nearby communities of Rouses Point, Chazy, Champlain, and Plattsburgh.

State Lands and Facilities

Numerous guide books and maps are available with information on the lands, waters, trails, and other recreational facilities in this area. These can be purchased at most outdoor equipment retailers, bookstores, and on-line booksellers.

Additional information, outdoor equipment, trip suggestions, and guided or self-guided tours may be obtained from outdoor guide and outfitting businesses. Check area chambers of commerce, telephone directories, or search the internet for listings.

Consider hiring an outdoor guide if you have little experience or woodland skills. See the NYS Outdoor Guides Association (leaves DEC website) for information on outdoor guides.


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