Basswood Pond facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Basswood Pond |
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 Basswood Pond
Location in New York Adirondack Park
Basswood Pond
Location in the United States
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| Location | Otsego County, New York |
| Coordinates | 42°44′44″N 75°07′15″W / 42.745657°N 75.120907°W |
| Surface area | 15.6 acres (6.3 ha) |
| Max. depth | 15 feet (4.6 m) |
| Shore length1 | .5 miles (0.80 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,758 feet (536 m) |
| Settlements | Burlington |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Basswood Pond is a small, peaceful lake located in Otsego County, New York. It's found just north of the small community of Burlington. This lovely pond is part of the larger Basswood Pond State Forest, which offers lots of outdoor activities. Water from Basswood Pond flows south into Butternut Creek through a small stream.
The Story of Basswood Pond
Did you know Basswood Pond wasn't always a pond? Back in 1958, people started working to change a swampy area into the pond we see today. By 1959, they had finished building a special wall called a dike. They also added stone rip-rap to protect the edges of the pond.
More recently, in 2018, the park around the pond got some cool new upgrades. They added more picnic tables, which are great for family outings. They also built a special fishing platform that can be used by people in wheelchairs. This project was made possible by a grant of $100,000 from Governor Cuomo's Adventure New York Initiative.
Fishing Fun at Basswood Pond
Basswood Pond is a very popular spot for fishing! You can find many different kinds of fish swimming in its waters. Some of the fish species that live here include:
- Rainbow trout
- Brown trout
- Goldfish
- Golden shiner
- Bluntnose minnow
- Fathead minnow
- Brown bullhead
- Pumpkinseed
- Largemouth bass
The pond is especially well-known for its excellent trout fishing. To keep the trout population healthy, the pond is stocked every year. About 350 brown trout, usually 8 to 15 inches long, and 100 rainbow trout, about 8 to 10 inches long, are added annually. Sometimes, people illegally put other types of fish into the pond. When this happens, the pond needs to be "reclaimed" to protect the trout. It's important to know that ice fishing is not allowed on Basswood Pond.
Exploring Basswood Pond State Forest
Basswood Pond is located within the beautiful Basswood Pond State Forest. This forest is a great place to explore nature. It has about 7.5 miles (12.1 kilometers) of hiking trails. These trails are perfect for walking, enjoying the fresh air, and seeing local wildlife.
