Sylvan Lake (New York)
Encyclopedia
Sylvan Lake is located next to the community by that name
in the Town of Beekman
, New York, United States. It is the deepest and second-largest lake in Dutchess County
.
It is a popular local recreation spot. Many summer camps are located along it, as well as a large private campground.
. High unnamed hills rise to 820 feet (249.9 m) to its northeast, 500 feet (152.4 m) above the lake. The unincorporated hamlet of Sylvan Lake is located to its southeast and east. Dutchess County Route 10 runs northwest from the hamlet along the lakeshore, providing access to the nearby Taconic State Parkway
via the NY 82
state highway at Arthursburg.
To the southwest are lower hills. The lake's unnamed outlet brook flows at first northward through a 91 acres (36.8 ha) wetland
between two smaller hills at that end but soon turns southward, carrying the drainage from the lake and its 0.81 square miles (2.1 km²) basin south a few miles to Fishkill Creek
. From there it reaches the Hudson River
at Beacon
.
The lake is located adjacent to the Chelsea Cove housing complex and all its residents are permitted access to the lake. There is a small beach with a small area to wade in before it drops off into much deeper waters. Sylvan Lake Beach Park, a privately operated campground, is located along another shore. The remainder of the 1.8 miles (2.9 km) shoreline is owned by private residences and summer camp
s.
used for mining, the slope is very steep and reaches maximum depth quickly near the center of the lake. The thermocline
in the lake reaches about 40 degrees F. To scuba dive
in the lake, advanced open water certification is needed. Equipment such as 7mml full body wetsuits including gloves and hood are necessary as are lights due to the murkiness of the water.
Angling
, from either boats or the shoreline, is also permitted. Fishermen must have a valid New York state license. The lake has a bass
population in its warmer areas, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation
stocks
it with 1,700 brown trout
fry every spring. Special fishing regulations apply since the lake is also a popular ice fishing
spot in winter. Trout may be taken all year round; there is no minimum size and up to five fish a day may be taken. Some anglers have taken trout as large as 10 pounds (4.5 kg).
Sylvan Lake, New York
Sylvan Lake is an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of Beekman, New York, United States. It is named after the lake it sits on, which was formed during the Ice Age. The early Indians originally named it "poughquag" which means "round body of water". A smaller lake known as Hidden Lake is where...
in the Town of Beekman
Beekman, New York
Beekman is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area. The population was 11,452 at the 2000...
, New York, United States. It is the deepest and second-largest lake in Dutchess County
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
.
It is a popular local recreation spot. Many summer camps are located along it, as well as a large private campground.
Geography
It is an irregular rounded shape, with a 116 acres (46.9 ha) surface area, located near the town's southwestern border with East FishkillEast Fishkill, New York
East Fishkill is a town on the southern border of Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 25,589 at the 2000 census. The town name is derived from its formation from Fishkill, NY....
. High unnamed hills rise to 820 feet (249.9 m) to its northeast, 500 feet (152.4 m) above the lake. The unincorporated hamlet of Sylvan Lake is located to its southeast and east. Dutchess County Route 10 runs northwest from the hamlet along the lakeshore, providing access to the nearby Taconic State Parkway
Taconic State Parkway
The Taconic State Parkway , is a divided highway between Kensico Dam and Chatham, the longest parkway in the U.S. state of New York. It follows a generally northward route midway between the Hudson River and the Connecticut and Massachusetts state lines...
via the NY 82
New York State Route 82
New York State Route 82 is a state highway in the eastern Hudson Valley of New York, United States. It begins at an intersection with NY 52 northeast of the village of Fishkill, bends eastward towards Millbrook, and then returns westward to end at a junction with U.S. Route 9,...
state highway at Arthursburg.
To the southwest are lower hills. The lake's unnamed outlet brook flows at first northward through a 91 acres (36.8 ha) wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
between two smaller hills at that end but soon turns southward, carrying the drainage from the lake and its 0.81 square miles (2.1 km²) basin south a few miles to Fishkill Creek
Fishkill Creek
Fishkill Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River in Dutchess County, New York, United States. At it is the second longest stream in the county, after Wappinger Creek. It rises in the town of Union Vale and flows generally southwest to a small estuary on the Hudson just south of Beacon. Part of...
. From there it reaches the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
at Beacon
Beacon, New York
Beacon is a city located in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The 2010 census placed the city total population at 15,541. Beacon is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport,...
.
The lake is located adjacent to the Chelsea Cove housing complex and all its residents are permitted access to the lake. There is a small beach with a small area to wade in before it drops off into much deeper waters. Sylvan Lake Beach Park, a privately operated campground, is located along another shore. The remainder of the 1.8 miles (2.9 km) shoreline is owned by private residences and summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
s.
Hydrology
The lake is 140 feet (42.7 m) deep, the deepest in Dutchess County. Formerly a quarryQuarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
used for mining, the slope is very steep and reaches maximum depth quickly near the center of the lake. The thermocline
Thermocline
A thermocline is a thin but distinct layer in a large body of fluid , in which temperature changes more rapidly with depth than it does in the layers above or below...
in the lake reaches about 40 degrees F. To scuba dive
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
in the lake, advanced open water certification is needed. Equipment such as 7mml full body wetsuits including gloves and hood are necessary as are lights due to the murkiness of the water.
Recreation
The campground and camps have facilities for swimming in the lake near its shore. Boating is permitted on the lake as long as gasoline-powered engines are not used. Diving is also permitted with advanced open-water certification due to the lake's depth.Angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
, from either boats or the shoreline, is also permitted. Fishermen must have a valid New York state license. The lake has a bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
population in its warmer areas, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is responsible for the conservation, improvement, and protection of natural resources within the U.S. state of New York. It was founded in 1970, replacing the previous Conservation Department...
stocks
Fish stocking
Fish stocking is the practice of raising fish in a hatchery and releasing them into a river, lake, or the ocean to supplement existing populations, or to create a population where none exists...
it with 1,700 brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
fry every spring. Special fishing regulations apply since the lake is also a popular ice fishing
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
spot in winter. Trout may be taken all year round; there is no minimum size and up to five fish a day may be taken. Some anglers have taken trout as large as 10 pounds (4.5 kg).