Up to six — two adults and four more, across two bedrooms with a pull-out couch. There's one full bath with a wheelchair-accessible shower, a full kitchen with a porch overlooking the lake, two screen porches, and a wood stove for cool mornings. Well-mannered dogs are welcome for a cleaning fee.

Rates run $1,200 a week in peak season (July and August) and $900 a week in late season (September and October). Early June is $125 a night with a four-night minimum, and extended monthly stays are $1,600. Cleaning and linen is a flat $185, or less if you bring your own bedding and towels.

Yes. A 14-foot rowboat with oars comes with the cottage by request, and it's yours for the week — most guests take a quiet morning loop over toward Bluff Island before breakfast. A power-boat dock is also available by request if you're bringing your own boat.

Butterfield Lake covers about 962 acres with roughly 13 miles of shoreline and 11 islands. The average depth is around 14 feet, and the deepest spots reach close to 50 feet. It's a natural lake in the St. Lawrence River basin, classified by the state as suitable for swimming, boating, and fishing.

Yes. Butterfield is a Class B lake, which means swimming and bathing are among its intended uses. At the cottage you can swim off the dock in deep water or wade in over the sandy bottom in the cove down at the flat rocks. The water warms up nicely through the summer.

The dock sits over deep water, good for swimming and jumping in, while the cove nearby has a sandy, shallower bottom that's better for wading and kids. You get both within a short walk, which is part of why the spot has stayed in the family since the early 1950s.

The lake holds largemouth and smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, black crappie, bluegill, and brown bullhead. Largemouth bass up to 20 inches are caught fairly regularly, and pike up to 30 inches show up too. Pike and largemouth are the most common gamefish, and the lake also gets an annual walleye stocking, though walleye stay uncommon.

Yes. New York requires a fishing license for anyone 16 and older. You can buy one online through the state, or pick one up locally at the 1000 Island Bait Store on Route 12 in Alexandria Bay, which sells both New York and Canadian licenses.

The 1000 Island Bait Store at 42980 NYS Route 12 in Alexandria Bay is the area's go-to, family-owned since 1952 and open nearly every day of the year. They carry live bait — nightcrawlers, shiners, suckers, crayfish, and leeches in season — plus tackle, fishing licenses, and gas. It's an easy stop on your way to or from Alex Bay. You can also borrow tackle from the boathouse at the cottage."

Ice fishing is allowed on Butterfield Lake and the pike and perch action can be good through the hard-water season. Note that On the Rocks itself is a summer-season rental, June through mid-October, so you'd be fishing the lake from public access rather than staying at the cottage in winter.

Yes — there's a state DEC hard-surface boat launch off Town Road, about half a mile east of the hamlet of Redwood. Important for 2026: the DEC announced the launch and its parking area are closed for reconstruction starting June 1 and continuing through early fall, so the public ramp won't be available for most of this season. If you're bringing a boat this summer, write us first and we'll talk through your options, including the cottage's power-boat dock.

Absolutely. Butterfield is a calm, quiet lake that's well suited to paddleboarding and kayaking, especially in the early morning when the water is glassy. The cottage includes the 14-foot rowboat; if you want to paddleboard or kayak, plan to bring your own, and launch right from the cottage shoreline.

Yes — the lake has a long history with water sports and even hosted a water ski gala for years. With roughly 962 acres of open water it has room for skiing and tubing. As with any shared lake, keep an eye on depth near shore and islands, follow New York boating rules, and be mindful of swimmers and paddlers in the quieter coves.

The closest reliable fuel stop for both your car and your boat is the 1000 Island Bait Store on Route 12 toward Alexandria Bay, which sells gas alongside bait and tackle. Alexandria Bay and the Route 37 corridor have additional fuel and convenience options. We'll point you to the nearest pump in the welcome packet, since the handiest one depends on which way you're coming and going.

The Redwood and Alexandria Bay area has public docking and day-use access, but rules and availability vary by location and season, and the DEC launch parking is closed for 2026 construction. If you're planning to bring or trailer a boat and need a place to park for the day, ask us before you arrive and we'll tell you the current best option — these things change, and we'd rather give you the right answer for the week you're here."

Plenty within a short drive. Alexandria Bay and Clayton, in the heart of the Thousand Islands, offer boat tours, shopping, and guided fishing trips on the St. Lawrence. There's a hiking trail a short drive from the cottage, and the Fort Drum military museum near Watertown has extensive regional history. Back at the cottage, most guests are happy with the lakeside fire pit, the grill, and some of the darkest night skies you'll find — the Milky Way comes in clear most August nights.

Watertown is about 30 minutes south, and the Thousand Islands bridge is roughly an hour west. The cottage is off Route 37 outside Redwood, down a gravel road toward the lake at 29278 Lake View Dr, Redwood, NY 13679, in Jefferson County. We'll send detailed directions with your welcome packet — the last stretch is easier with our notes than with a GPS alone.