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This is the biggest of the lakes and ponds created by damming the Lawrence Brook. The map is centered on the northernmost launch site, which is the most central on the lake. There are two more access points to the south, which can be useful if you want to explore up the Lawrence Brook.
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Lake Carnegie is a reservoir that straddles the borders of the towns of Princeton, West Windsor, Plainsboro and South Brunswick in Mercer and Middlesex counties in central New Jersey. The lake was created by construction of a dam along the Millstone River, though the lower portion of the lake actually follows the valley of its largest tributary, the Stony Brook, while the Millstone River crossed under the D&R Canal to the south. The lake is about three miles long, but only about 800 feet wide.
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Lake Lefferts is a man-made lake, the result of the construction in 1928 of Lake Lefferts Dam, which captures and stores the flow of Matawan Creek. This is the nicest spot in northern Monmouth County. The lake is in three parts:
- The lower part that contains the dam and the launch area and extends up to the Route 34 bridge. This part is fairly deep and free of obstructions.
- The upper part from Route 34 to Route 516. This part is much shallower and weedy, especially at the far end.
- An unusable section beyond Route 516. This part is pretty much just mud.
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This is about the smallest body of water I would consider - more of a pond than a lake. But it is a nice place. Access could not be easier, the parking lot goes right down to the water. If you live nearby, it is a good place for a quick 'dip'. To go a little farther, you can hop over the railroad tracks and get into the far section and a little ways up the byzantine creek that fills the lake.
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This is a difficult area to even gain access to, for a number of reasons:
Almost the entire waterfront in Old Bridge township is now fenced-off. This is because not that many years ago, the jetties and seawalls were constructed not from rock, but from slag from a lead foundry in Perth Amboy. The slag was later determined to be toxic - what a surprise! Supposedly, much of it has been cleaned up, but the whole area remains 'off-limits'. Since the poisons leach into the water and are carried off by the currents, you really have to wonder about the entire bay.
Mallard Duck
There are many kinds of wild ducks, and even more types of domesticated ducks, but the Mallard is a good representative of all. Ducks are harmless. Bring some bread along, I never met a duck that didn't expect to be fed.
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