Through education, awareness, and environmental initiatives, The Adirondack White Lake Association (AWLA) is committed to preserving White Lake as a natural resource and recreation area through protection and prudent use of its environs. Learn more about our programs here.

What We Do

Your membership dues enable a dedicated Board of Directors and volunteers to:

• Provide a variety of cultural and group events

• Provide communications via our website, newsletters, emails and facebook

• Foster and maintain strong relationships with the surrounding community 

• Maintain a resource-rich web site

• Hold two membership meetings a year

• Restock fish annually  

White Lake Steward Program

White Lake is one of few lakes in the Adirondack Park that is still invasive species free - The White Lake Steward Program is our first line of defense in keeping invasive species from coming to our lake. White Lake’s Steward Program, in conjunction with the Watershed Institute at Paul Smith’s College, is all about education to prevent spread to White Lake. Through a combination of membership dues, charitable donations, and the 50/50 raffle, stewards are on duty for the summer to educate and inspect boats at “Beach A” two days a week. Stewards look for invasive species, recommend boat washing if needed, and educate boaters on how to prevent invasive species spread to White Lake and other lakes. In addition, lake stewards collect data about the vessels entering and exiting the lake.

As of the close of the 2022 season, we have had no reported invasive species. View the report here.

For additional information on boat inspection and washing, click here.

Fish Stocking Program

White Lake is a very deep, spring-fed lake where trout survive the best. The White Lake Fish Stocking Program keeps our lake moderately stocked with trout, so that all of our association members can enjoy a crystal clear, clean, and ecologically alive lake. An added benefit is recreational fishing, a way to experience the beauty of being on the lake in a boat, canoe, or kayak to enjoy what nature offers in the joy of fishing a pristine lake.

Through charitable donations and fundraising events like the Pancake Breakfast, the AWLA currently stocks 700 rainbow trout, spending $3,000 annually. Since fish prices have soared, this amount is half of what we have historically stocked since the Adirondack White Lake Association was formed in 1981. 

AWLA started stocking fish in White Lake in the 1980’s after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Fish Hatchery discontinued stocking the lake, which they had been stocking with 5,000 fingerling trout yearly since the 1950’s. 

There have been several studies of the lake performed by Cornell University, where evaluations resulted in a recommendation that the lake is best suited for trout and that 10”-13” is the optimum size for survival. There are three species of trout in the lake: lake trout, rainbow trout, and brook trout; other natural species that populate the lake are smallmouth bass, perch, bullhead, sunfish, and rock bass. It is assumed that some of these fish were dropped in many years ago and have continued to populate the lake. They also provide feed for the larger trout in the lake. The lake does not have any species of the pike family, nor are there largemouth bass, as they prefer the shallow bodies of water like nearby Otter and Little Long Lakes.

We are counting on you to help us raise extra funds to maintain the delicate ecological balance of White Lake; without the Fish Stocking Program, White Lake as we know it today could end up as a stagnant dead lake. Your contribution is much appreciated for the benefit of you, your children, grand-children, and generations of White Lakers to come!