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About a mile long, in the Assunpink WMA. To the east you can find two other small lakes in the same watershed: Stone Tavern Lake (WMA), and Rising Sun Lake (WMA). Assunpink Creek drains into Lake Mercer, which is much larger than any of these.
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The marker in the lower-center of the map is a super-easy put-in on Whale Creek, above. The other markers are a longer slog over the beach. All have convenient free parking (don't leave your vehicle in the launching area, that's a dick move!)
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This lake has a lot of different branches to explore, and you can actually go quite a long way. The two marked sites are the best accesses for the northern and southern branches of the lake. Unfortunately, located in the middle of Asbury Park, the water is not the cleanest, especially near the railroad and toward the drain at the beach. The 'headwaters' are better.
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This site varies, depending on when you go there. During the summer, and especially on weekends, there can be a lot of motorboats around. Other times, you can have the whole place to yourself.
More: Keyport / Matawan Creek ...
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:
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Much of this part or Raritan Bay is fenced-off because of lead pollution from the industrial slag used to build jetties and seawalls in the 1970s. Supposedly, most of it has been cleaned up, but the whole area remains 'off-limits'. Since the toxins leach into the water and are carried off by the currents, you really have to wonder about the entire bay. A quick search online will reveal more on this subject than you ever wanted to know.
More: Laurence Harbor / Cheesequake Creek ...
The Point Pleasant Canal is off-limits.
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More of a pond than a lake, only about half a mile long, but accessible in Thompson Park. Never actually been there. Nearby Swimming River Reservoir is completely off-limits, even to the people that live on it!
More: Marlu Lake - Tinton Falls ...
The Navesink River is more like a big brackish lake, except where it narrows-down and connects to Raritan Bay. While it is tidal, most of the river has negligible current, although it is wide enough to get choppy if the wind is strong. The water is generally clean, unlike the nearby Swimming River. Boat traffic is not too bad either.
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This is a nice clean lake that straddles the border between Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The neat thing about it is, if you scroll the map to the upper-right corner, that is not some industrial park, that is Great Adventure! This is the lake that is at the back of the park. At the east end of the lake, you are looking up at all the rides, while to the south is the Safari Park. You can see more water from there, but I wouldn't jump any of the dykes, as that would put you on Great Adventure's property, or maybe in the lion pen. It's not a big lake, but there is plenty of shoreline to inspect. There is a small dam at the western end. No real facilities, just parking.
More: Prospertown Lake WMA - Jackson ...
Your new boat probably came with a paddle. I've never seen a boat come with a good paddle. It is just a starter, to get you going. Get a good paddle that is the right size for you. It will make a world of difference. Keep the old one for a spare. Rule of thumb: your paddle should be at least your height. If you install a thick seat cushion, you might want to go a little longer even.
I regard my paddle as an emergency signalling device as well, which is why I like the yellow color pictured, especially if your boat is some camouflage shade of green. The paddle above is about $50 at Dick's. I really like it. No sense hobbling yourself with the piece of junk that came with the boat.
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