My family has a cabin on a lake in the Adirondacks.   It is near Paul Smith's College. I'll be up there this summer and I wanted to see if there were a nearby lake with  good smallie fishing. I've never caught one before, only LMB.  

 

 

Most likely, I wont have a boat. I could probably get a canoe though. 

 

Also, I may be there during the LMB spawn. I know NY has a closed season for LMB during the spawn. When do smallmouth spawn? Can you fish for them all season?

 

Thanks

Mike

In NY the closed season is for large and smallmouths.  You can catch them anytime, but you can't keep them until the open season.  The smallies should start spawning (assuming current weather pattern continues) around the second week of June.  Those 2 lakes are low 60's temperature wise now.

Check the NYS DEC websites "Places to Fish" page organized by region and county. Some good leads there.

Saranac Lake itself is awesome smallmouth fishing. The ADKs are filled with smallmouth water. A little further south of you are Schroon Lake and Lake George, and they are also great for smallies.