| Saratoga Lake | |
|---|---|
 Saratoga Lake from the southwest with a view of Snake Hill | |
  Saratoga Lake  Saratoga Lake | |
| Location | Saratoga County, New York |
| Coordinates | 43°01′12″N73°44′24″W / 43.020°N 73.740°W /43.020; -73.740 |
| Primary inflows | Kayaderosseras Creek |
| Primary outflows | Fish Creek |
| Catchment area | 244 sq mi (630 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 4.5 mi (7.2 km) |
| Max. width | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) |
| Surface area | 6.3 sq mi (16 km2) |
| Average depth | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Max. depth | 95 ft (29 m) |
| Water volume | 33×10 |
| Residence time | 5 months |
| Shore length1 | 23 mi (37 km) |
| Surface elevation | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Frozen | usually unfreezes mid-late March or early-mid April |
| References | [1][2] |
| 1 Shore length isnot a well-defined measure. | |
Saratoga Lake is in the eastern part ofSaratoga County,New York. The lake is approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) long, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide at its widest point, and about 95 feet (29 m) deep.[2]
The lake is bordered by the city ofSaratoga Springs on the northwest, the town ofMalta on the southwest, the town ofStillwater on the southeast, and the town ofSaratoga on the northeast.[3]New York State Route 9P runs along the southern end and eastern side of the lake, and then crosses its outlet in the north.
The lake's major source isKayaderosseras Creek, which enters the lake from the northwest, and the outlet is Fish Creek, which exits the lake from the north and flows into theHudson River atSchuylerville.
Fish species present in the lake arewalleye,smallmouth bass,black crappie,yellow perch,redbreast sunfish,bluegill,northern pike,tiger muskie,largemouth bass,carp,pumpkinseed sunfish, andbrown bullhead. There is a state-owned hard surface ramp boat launch off Union Avenue on the north shore.[4]
The name "Saratoga" is said to derive from the nativeSe-rach-ta-gue, meaning "hillside country of the great river"; however, several completely different interpretations have been proposed.[5]: 11–12
Archeological evidence shows Native American occupation dating back to 7000 BC.[6]
The first European to visit the lake may have been the JesuitIsaac Jogues in 1642.[5]: 30 The Saint Isaac Jogues Chapel, on the lake in Stillwater, commemorates his mission.
The sport of rowing has a long history on Saratoga Lake, especially along Fish Creek. "In July 1874, the Rowing Association of American Colleges hosted the University Race for the Championship at Saratoga."[7]Columbia won what was reported as "the most exciting race ever witnessed." Other participants wereWesleyan,Harvard,Williams,Cornell,Dartmouth,Princeton,Trinity, andYale.[8] Competitions were held annually thereafter for several years. The tradition was revived in 1986 with the firstHead of the Fish Regatta, which by 2010 had grown to be "the second largest regatta in the country, by volume of boats entered."[7]
The north end of the lake, around Fish Creek, has a public boat launch and many private marinas, while the middle and southern areas are less densely developed.
Episode 5 of theTwilight Zone, "Walking Distance", has a reference to renting a cottage on Saratoga Lake.
