Recreational use of Hemlock Lake is regulated by the City of Rochester Water Department. Fishing and boating are allowed by permit only. Boats may not exceed 16 feet in length and motors may not exceed 10 h.p. Check your watershed visitor permit for details. Annual permits can be obtained free of charge from a self-service booth at the north end of the Lake.
Access is by permit only.
Both unimproved access points have gravel ramps. Lake trout historically provided the most significant sport-fishery on Hemlock Lake. In 1957, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation conducted the first biological survey of Hemlock Lake. Later stocking efforts included rainbow trout, brown trout, smelt, walleye, and lake whitefish. Currently, Hemlock's salmonid fishery consists of lake trout, brown trout, rainbow trout and landlocked salmon.