Labor Day Weekend 2015

Photo by Martin Dybas - This morning!

Water Temperature 

is 76 Degrees at the Southwest End
and 78 Degrees by the dam

Lake Level

We are losing about a foot of water per week - so be aware that is is a foot lower than last week!

The level is the lowest is has been in recent memory, but there is still plenty of water if you know where to go!

Watch your buoys and stay inside the channels.

Lakeside has about 8 feet of water at the shallow point

Driftwood has about 4 feet of water at the shallow point - so swing wide

Sport Island Pub, Lanzi's on the Lake, Captain Nauti's and the I-Go all have plenty of water.

No more stump ally - there is a less than a foot of water there.

Pirate's Cove is still accessible.

On the Plus side there is PLENTY OF BEACH and you can explore some places that you can't usually get to!

Sand Island is HUGE and Knee Deep for quite a ways on the Broadalbin Side. Keep in mind to stay towards the Broadalbin shore on approach. The good news is if you do hit it should only be sand.

The Trap Islands are perfect - check out the SE side.

Scout is great.

Mosqito Bay is great.

The Sand Bar by Northampton is out of the water!

Most of the usual bad point are visibly sticking out of the water.

REMEMBER - USE YOUR BUOYS - AND MAPS AND YOU SHOULD BE FINE

Fishing

Walleye - have slowed down

Northern's - are descent

Bass - is Phenomenal right now - Even some Large Mouth Bass have been taken

Saturday, September 19 at 12:00pm - 12:30pm

The Fulton County Baseball & Sports HOF will be dedicating its next Fulton County Sports Historical Road Marker to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Peter Dubuc's World Record Northern Pike being caught on the Sacandaga Lake Visit Sacandaga in 1940.

Dubuc's Family and the Great Sacandaga Lake Fisheries Federation invite the public to attend this special ceremony to unveil its next Historical Road Marker at the corner of County Hwy 110 and Benedict Loop in Broadalbin. 

Tip of the Week:

Trim it up!!!!!

SAND ISLAND BASH IS NEXT SATURDAY!!!!!

August 4th, 2015

Photo by Martin Dybas

Water Temperature

is 82 Degrees - it made it up to 84 Degrees last week!

Lake Level

is down about 3' from the last Lake Report. It is just about the perfect balance of beach and water right now.

Stump ally has between 5 and 5 1/2 feet of water, so it is still negotiable by regular boat, but after next week I would recommend only pontoon boats through there!

The Coves are still in great shape with plenty of water.

The Sand Bar at Northampton is exposed.

The Trap Islands are out and nice and sandy on one side.

Scout Island has a nice mix of beach and water (just remember you need a permit to go there)

Sand Island has plenty of beach and you can pretty much go to all your favorite spots.

All the Marinas are in great shape .

You can still go up to the river. The wide spot past the Northville Boat Launch still has 7-8 feet of water.

We are right on track for this time of year and are loosing about 10" of water/week. Barring any tropical storms we should be right on track through Columbus Day Weekend.

Fishing

Walleye - are small but on fire right now!

Northerns - are 20"-30" class

Trout are coming on

Perch are steady

Sun of a Beach

Yes its true the beach on Vandenburg Point is open
by Wally's Driftwood Park!)

$50 Unlimited use for the year or $10 a carload

Free after 6 PM

And Music on the Beach on Fridays and Selected Wednesdays!!

Tip of the Week

No Matter how good your cooler is, It will not hold your worms until the following week without repacking the ice!

So make sure to take those worms out - or you won't like what you find!

Independence Day Weekend 2015

Water Temperate 

is 72 Degrees depending on where you are on the Lake. The Rain and the cold weather has brought it down a bit, but with the warm days coming up I anticipate it will be in the 80's by next week.

Lake Level:

is up about 4 feet from my last lake report. We are at the Highest Level of the Season so far. The level is what you would expect for m
Memorial Day Weekend.

On the up side you can navigate stump ally and mosquito bay, both of which have 9'-11' of water in spots.

You can go up the back water behind Lakeside Tavern, and up the river in Northville. There is a great spot to raaft just past the quarry where it widens a little.

Trap Islands  and Deer Island are under water except for some brush bushes  SO BE CAREFUL.

The Sand Bar at Northampton and Mosquito bay are under water as well.


We have lost for beach and there is just a bit at Sand Island. There are some sandy spots on the right side of Wally's and near Edinburg Marina.


So plan on rafting this weekend.

On another note - the conjunction of Jupiter and Venus is visible just after sunset to the west and we have a gorgeous view of it on the Lake. The Buck Moon is still close to full so it is great for night running!

Fishing:

Walleye - good (but you need to know where to look for them and how to fish for them)

Perch - good

Trout - Average

Northerns - have slowed down a bit

Bass - Good, BUT have slowed down since they have been on their spawn beds

Tip of the Week:

Don't Let this Happen to YOU!

Deer Island is still a hazard, SO if you are coming back at night DON"T find yourself on top of it! It's been done before!

Memorial Day Weekend 2015

Nice shot of the lake this morning from Martin Dybas

Water Temperature 

is 58 Degrees

Lake Level

is at about our normal level for August, which means it is down about 3-4 feel from the normal level at this time of year.  On the up side - there is plenty of beach at Mosquito Bay, Stump Ally, the sand bar is still out at Northampton, and there is plenty of beach at Sand Island.

You can still navigate stump ally if you know what you are doing!

Fishing:

The fish are coming hard right now, probably because of the low lake level. Northerns are good and trout are average (for those guys who know how to catch them!)

Tip of the Week:

Pay attention to those buoys!!!
If you are someone who only comes to the lake this time of year and are used to the high lake level, things are a little different this year! The lake is still negotiable, but do pay attention to the buoys, so that you don't end up having to make a trip to the marina!

Here are some links:

Boating Etiquette

NYS Boaters Guide 

Rules Of The Nautical Road

May Day, 2015

Photo by Stephanie Lape Crowe

Lake Temperature 

is 41 Degrees, Hopefully 50 by the weekend!

Lake Level

is right on target for this time of year!

This means it is pretty much the level it was at Labor Day (august September)

We have had a good steady runoff this year, so flooding has been minimal.

Obviosly this time of year you want to be checking for debris and submerged logs, but it should not be as bad as other years.

If you haven't been checking on your docks, now would be a good time.

There is plenty of water and the Launches are in!

So go to your favorite restaurant by boat this weekend!

Lakeside and Wally's have enough water to visit by boat.

Fishing

Walleye and Pike open up this Saturday! So if you are a die hard, stay up to midnight on Friday night - and you are good to go!

Fishing should be phenomenal, there have only been 10 days from the end of the ice and the beginning of the season, so they should be biting!

Tip of the Week:

Check on those docks or they MAY float away!

April 6th, 2015

By Tommy Breitenstein near North Broadalbin

This should be the last FROZEN Lake Report for this Spring!
Last weekend was really the last good weekend to ride - even for the die hards!

The weekend before was great riding, but now you really have to look out for the creeks and open water.

Anywhere there is stagnant water, there is still about 20" of ice.

Water Level:

They have opened up the gates, and the water is up about a foot. It will be up about 3 feet by the weekend.

The water is still pretty low, with only creeks from Lakeside to Lasky's and from Lasky's to Scout Island.

However, by next week you should start checking on your docks, to protect them from the ice.

My prediction is April 20th, before the ice sheet is off the lake.

Fishing:

Walleye and Pike are closed until the first saturday in May.
The rainbow and perch have been good though.

Trout season started Wednesday, April 1st
New Hunting and fishing app

Tip of the week:

If you ARE going to ride out there, make sure you are on a snow machine - 4 wheelers can't shoot the gap!

March 5th, 2015

The Lake has settled down quite a bit since last Sunday!

There are still pockets of slush but there is not slush everywhere. The cold weather tonight should harden it up and the slushy spots should freeze.

Still, stick to the trails as the virgin snow may be difficult to navigate.

The best riding is still from Sin Clair point up to the Bachelorville Bridge on up to Ponderosa Pines. Or from Sin Clair Point up to Sport Island Pub.

There are still some 2' drifts out there so keep an eye out. 
Also snowmobiles, PLEASE keep an eye out for tip=ups and snow banks!

Ice:

There is currently 20'- 22" of ice everywhere. The good news is that the snow should keep it isolated, so we should have ice for a while! 

Currently, if you drill a whole in the ice, it doesn't fill up with water.

The Lake is within a foot of its lowest level right now, so there is not a lot of water. From Scout Island to Beacon Island there is about 8'-12' of water. From Scout to Sand Island there is about 15'-20' of water.

Fishing:

Pike - Good
Walleye - Steady
Perch & Northerns - should be fat as they are getting ready to spawn

Next Sunday is the deadline for removing shanty's and Next Weekend will be the better of the two for taking your shanty down.

Events:

• Fuel-n-Food Weekend Long Fishing Contest starting Friday!
  
• Fireworks in front of Sport Island Pub Saturday around 7PM (Aaron Mittler Acoustic inside the Pub!)
  
• Electric City Riders Ice Races in front of the Sport Island Pub on Sunday

Tip of the Week:

Take of your skirts and get out there!It's Not that bad!!!!

February 13th, 2015

Photo by Larry Vrooman

We have 20" of ice pretty much everywhere out there!

Because of all the snow it is starting to slush up a bit.

The Best riding is from Sin Clair point NE to Captain Nauti's up to Ponderosa Pines.

Also from the Mead Islands to Sport Island Pub is alright especially in the fresh powder. The virgin snow makes your machine works a bit harder but it is nice riding - and we don't have these conditions that often.

Be careful of the ice ridges. They are all in the same spots and haven't grown or shifted, but they are difficult to see because of the snow. Pay particular attention to the ridge that runs from The Broadalbin Boat Club to the Trap's then forks and follows the shoreline by Lanzi's on the Lake.

The fireworks have been postponed due to sub zero temperatures and wind. We will let you know the new date. Be sure to go to Sport Island and Catch Third Rael Sunday afternoon - they will be there from 4pm-8pm!

Also most area restaurants have some great specials for valentines day! Be sure to call ahead and get a reservation so that you can be assured to have a table!

Fishing:

is average to good

Pike are picking up and the walleye are steady!

Tip of the Week:

Be cautious of plowing: Some fishermen will plow to their shanty's causing snow banks that are difficult to see.

Ice fishermen - be sure to get out there and jack up those shanties - or they will freeze in when the slush turns back to ice!

January 27th, 2015

This is a 28" Walleye that was caught
by Jim Jasowitz last weekend!

There is about 16 inches of ice everywhere and by the weekend (walleye challenge) there should be about 18 inches so the ice will be strong enough for cars and trucks which have already been on the ice in certain areas for the last couple of weekends.

We are only supposed to get about 8 inches of snow on Tuesday so it shouldn't cause any slushy conditions, plus it is going to be windy which should blow a lot of it off. So you should be able to still use a 4-wheeler to ice fish and snowmobile's will be able to get around nicely too.

That could change if the forecaster is wrong and we get more.

Lake Level:
The Lake has been a little higher than normal for this time of year, but they have been releasing a lot of water all month and have the level almost back to normal. By Friday the regulating district is going to cut back the water release by half. All this means in simple terms is if you were fishing in 5 to 6 feet of water in December and early january and you go back to the same spot this weekend you will be "fishing in dirt" as the locals say.

Some of the ice ridges have grown to 3 feet high in places like in front of Lanzi's on the Lake, but there are spots to cross it - JUST PAY ATTENTION! As anybody knows these can change from week to week. They appear to be in their usual places this year.

Fishing:

Walleye have been biting fair to good for late January and 30 inch size pike have been prvelent with a few 40 inch class ones caught.
Trout also have been biting good for those set up for them with perch seeming a little slow.

As for where they are biting best? - I am sworn to secrecy!
This may all change as the water release changes also.

Tip of the Week:

Make sure you are registered, insured and wearing a helmet on 4 wheelers and snowmobiles this weekend. Authorities will be everywhere on the Lake this weekend.
Oh yeah - if you are over 16 and fishing it would be a good idea to have a fishing licemse!

Also I look forward to seeing you all!!!!

January 14th, 2015

photo by Stephanie Lape Crowe

Ice Report:

The Ice thickness went from 9 inches (around Sin Clair Point) up to 11 inches (around Beacon Island) to about 10 inches everywhere else as of Sunday.

I needed 12 inches not to where a speedo in Wally's (I lost a bet) but that's alright because a week earlier there wasn't any ice in the center.
The entire Lake froze as one good sheet of solid clear ice. 

There already are some Ice heaves and ridges at the usual spots in front of Lanzi's on the Lake, but the ice is safe to ride all the way from Lakeside Tavern to Ponderosa Pines. Northeast of that use caution.

Everything is good to Sport Island past the Northville Bridge. The ice had spots of snow on ice in the middle towards Broadalbin perfect for putting out shanty's which a lot of people did.

Now with today's 6 inches or so of snow and the little rain in top and 0 degree nights coming should make perfect snowmobiling conditions for the upcoming weekend.

Will be over a foot of ice everywhere this weekend. A safe amount for any activities.

Fishing:

Fishing has been average with reports of Walleye and perch mostly caught.

Tip of the Week:

If you are going to ride your sled on glare ice, stud it. Its cheaper in the long run ...