Lake Carnegie

In the extreme northeastern portion of Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey, a dam on the Millstone River created the reservoir known as Lake Carnegie. This lake is one of the best lakes in New Jersey. Along the lake's eastern shore is where the Delaware and Raritan Canal and its associated tow way are located. The lake was built with funding provided by a well-known businessman and benefactor Andrew Carnegie and given to Princeton University. On the National Register of Historic Places since 1990, the Lake Carnegie Historic District is listed.

The university's rowing team uses the privately owned lake, which also serves as the base for the US Olympic rowing squad. However, it is open to the public for uses like ice skating, fishing, and picnicking. Largemouth bass, carp, pickerel, crappie, channel catfish, and occasionally a few rainbow and brown trout that enter Carnegie Lake from Stony Brook are among the fish species. The lake's safety levels have dangerously declined as a result of years of pollution. The water quality of Carnegie Lake is being worked on.

You won't be able to swim here, but watching the teams train and fishing in the waterways, which is permitted as long as you release the fish once you catch them, are both very enjoyable. They allow ice skating there in the winter.

Location: Mercer / Middlesex counties, New Jersey