The Great Sacandaga Lake is located about 50 miles from albany,
and 20 miles from Saratoga. Technically a reservoir,
Sacandaga is 30 miles in length, and has a maximum
width of 5 miles. The Lake was formed when the
Conklingville Dam was built to control the flooding
of both the Hudson and Sacandaga Rivers in the
late 1920's. The building of the dam has protected
the area from the heavy flooding, and gives a
boost to the local ecomony as tourism, boating,
and seasonal residents bring in additional commerce.
Towns on Lake Sacandaga include: Broadalbin, Mayfield,
Northville, Edinburg, West Day, Conklingville,
Batchellerville, Fayville, and Fish House. The
lake reaches depths of 100 feet near the dam,
but averages 40 feet and has over 120 miles of
shoreline. A bit of trivia: The Northern Pike
that is recognized as the North American record
fish of that species at 46 lbs. 2 oz, was caught
in the reservoir in 1940.
Sacandaga has avoided the commercial
development that seems to plague larger lakes
which makes it a nice change of pace from the
regulations and crowds of places like Lake George.
This, along with the size, makes Sacandaga a favorite
among performance boaters. Unlike Lake George,
there are no noise or speed restrictions and is
host to a number of events, including the
Sacandaga Poker Run (see picture on the left).
Local Knowledge:
There are many public beaches and campgrounds
around the lake, as well as waterfront restaurants
and bars. Two local favorites are Lanzi's on the
Lake and Sport Island Pub:
Lanzi's
on the Lake
Sport Island Pub
One thing to look out for is the
varying water levels and unmark hazards that may
result. Most years it is not an issue, but the
image below is from 2007. Ouch!
This website will be updated with any water level
related announcements our alerts, or post to our
message board for specific questions or updates
from other BoatUpstate.com members. Check out
the Sacandaga
Marinas page for places to launch and store
your boat, as well as other boating services around
Sacandaga Lake.
