Allen Lake is a man-made lake located in north central Allegany County. The lake was built on private property in 1958, on the headwaters of an unnamed tributary to the Genesee River. New York State purchased the lake in 1963 along with 700 upland acres and added it to adjacent state forest land now totaling 2421 acres.
Physical Features:
Elevation: 1,899 feet
Area: 58 acres
Shoreline Length: 1.5 miles
Max Depth: 19 feet
Mean Depth: 8 feet
County & Town: Allegany County, Town of Allen
Access:
There is an unimproved launch that can handle small trailered boats or cartop boats/canoes, located northeast of the Village of Belfast, off West Hill Road. The site has a 25 car parking lot and a seasonal use sanitary facility.
For more information on this launch including Google Maps driving directions, visit the Boat Launch Sites for Allegany County page
Accessible Features
From the Lake Forest Road Parking Area, off Muckle Road, wheelchair accessible features include the:
- Fishing/viewing platform; and
- Portable toilet (seasonal)
The route to the platform is approximately 150 feet.
Visit the DEC Accessible Recreation Destinations web page for additional accessible recreation opportunities.
Fish Species:
Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Bluegill, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Perch, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, Green Sunfish, White Sucker, Golden Shiner.
Fishing:
Although small boats and canoes are common on the lake, the majority of fishing takes place from the 1,600-foot earthen dike.
Trout: Allen Lake is stocked annually in the spring with yearling brook trout and two-year-old brown trout. Surplus breeders are stocked in most years in the fall. The trout fishery is essentially a put and take fishery, as there is little holdover of trout. Ice fishing for trout is legal as there is no closed season.
Largemouth bass: Largemouth bass were introduced in 1996 to provide a predator to control the abundant panfish population. They are now well established, with bass in the 12 inch -14 inch range common. Anglers will have success with spinner baits, surface plugs, plastic worms, crank baits as well as live crayfish or shiners.
Panfish: Allen Lake provides fishing for several species of panfish. Although abundant, their growth is generally slow due to low fertility of the lake and competition. The most common panfish are bluegill, pumpkinseed and brown bullhead, with occasional yellow perch and green sunfish also caught.
Ice Fishing:
Ice fishing is permitted on Allen Lake.
Regulations:
Special Fishing Regulations Apply.
Electric motors only.
