Meacham Lake is the source of the East Branch of St Regis River in central Franklin County. The lake is shaped like a big rectangle and is wide open to prevailing winds. It also has a New York State DEC campground on its northern shore and is entirely surrounded by state land.
Physical Features:
Elevation: 1552 feet
Area: 1185 acres
Shoreline Length: 5.5 miles
Length: 2 miles
Maximum Depth: 80 feet
Mean Depth: 36 feet
Maximum Width: 1 mile
County and Town: Franklin County, Town of Duane
Note: There is considerably deeper water than the contour map indicates.
Access:
Within Meacham Lake State Campground: off Route 30, 19 miles north of the Hamlet of Lake Clear Junction. Beach launch, but very shallow. A day use fee is charged in season. The launch is open year round. Parking for 50 cars and trailers.
Cartop launch on outlet where the Route 30 bridge crosses.
For more information on these launches including Google Maps driving directions, visit the Boat Launch Sites for Franklin County page.
Fish Species:
Splake, northern pike, smallmouth bass, brown trout, lake whitefish, brown bullhead, rainbow smelt, fallfish, yellow perch, and pumpkinseed.
Fishing:
Northern pike and smallmouth bass are the big fish in the lake. The smallmouth bass can most often be found on the eastern half of the lake between Roaring and Winnebago Brooks. Northern pike are found most abundantly in the southern end of the lake, which is quite weedy. The yellow perch grow big, but there is a consumption health advisory on eating these fish (view the Department of Health Fish Consumption Advisories - leaves DEC website)
Ice Fishing:
Permitted.
Ice fishing is very popular here; more so than open water fishing. Ice fishing can be popular for big bruiser pike and splake in the 2-4 lb. range.
Regulations:
Special Fishing Regulations Apply.
Fisheries Management:
Meacham Lake is managed as a two story lake. It is stocked each year with roughly 2,000-3,000 splake. Brown trout were last stocked in 2012.
