The body of water named Lake Placid is located in the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, United States. It is located on the northern side of the Village of Lake Placid.
History
The earliest appearance of Lake Placid on a map dates back to 1804. In that map, it is known as Placid Lake. "Placid Lake" is still sometimes used to distinguish it from the village of Lake Placid, New York.
Original settlement of the lake was done by the Peru Steel Ore Company in 1846. They built a wooden dam for the purposes of providing power to ironworking and mining business.
Geography
The lake is approximately , and has an average depth of about . It is located in the towns of North Elba and St. Armand, both in Essex County.
There are three islands on Lake Placid, named Buck, Moose, and Hawk.
Conservation
The lake borders the northern part of the village of Lake Placid and is a source of drinking water for the town. The lake is fed by springs and Adirondacks mountain streams. There are nearly 300 houses on the lake shore, but since most of the houses are unoccupied much of the year, the water usually remains clean.
Local efforts have been made to combat aquatic invasive species, specifically the variable-leaf milfoil through the Adirondack Watershed Institution's stewardship program. The depth of the lake, around 151 at its deepest, and its cold temperatures make it the perfect habitat for lake trout.