Lake Carmel is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Kent in Putnam County, New York, United States.

The lake and surrounding community was developed by the Smadbeck brothers, who excavated and dammed a swamp in the 1920s and sold lots through the now-defunct New York Daily Mirror.

The hamlet is the seat of the volunteer Lake Carmel Fire Department; its fire district covers the eastern half of the township, and of the Kent town government.

17.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The census-designated place is in the Carmel Central School District.