Saratoga Lake | |
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Saratoga Lake from the southwest with a view of Snake Hill
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Location | Saratoga County, New York |
Coordinates | 43°01′12″N 73°44′24″W / 43.020°N 73.740°WCoordinates: 43°01′12″N 73°44′24″W / 43.020°N 73.740°W |
Primary inflows | Kayaderosseras Creek |
Primary outflows | Fish Creek |
Catchment area | 244 sq mi (630 km2) |
Basin countries | United States |
Max. length | 4.5 miles (7.2 km) |
Max. width | 1.5 miles (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 9 US gal (120×10 6 m3) |
Residence time | 5 months |
Shore length1 | 23 mi (37 km) |
Surface elevation | 200 feet (61 m) |
Frozen | usually unfreezes mid-late March or early-mid April |
References | |
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. |
Saratoga Lake is a freshwater lake in the eastern part of Saratoga 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.
The Lake is surrounded by the City of Saratoga Springs on the north west, the Town of Malta on the south west, the Town of Stillwater on the south east, and the Town of Saratoga on the north east.New York State Route 9P is a highway that runs along the southern end and eastern side of the lake, and then crosses its outlet in the north.
The lake's major source is the Kayaderosseras Creek which enters the lake from the north west, and the outlet is Fish Creek, which exits the lake from the north and flows into the Hudson River at Schuylerville, New York.
The name Saratoga is said to derive from the native Se-rach-ta-gue, meaning hillside country of the great river; however several completely different interpretations have been proposed.
Archeological evidence shows Native American occupation dating back to 7000BC.
The first European to visit the lake may have been the Jesuit Isaac Jogues in 1642. 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."Columbia won what was reported as "the most exciting race ever witnessed." Other participants were Wesleyan, Harvard, Williams, Cornell, Dartmouth, Princeton, Trinity, and Yale. Competitions were held annually thereafter for several years.