Otsego Lake - Like a Scene from a Storybook
Otsego Lake is a 4,046-acre (16.37 km2) lake located in Otsego County, New York, and is the source of the Susquehanna River. Its average depth is 82 feet (25 m), with a maximum depth of 167 feet (51 m). It is about nine miles long and is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the state. The Village of Cooperstown is located at the lake's southern end and Glimmerglass State Park - on the lake's northeastern shore. Glimmerglass Opera is on the western shore.
The lake offers many swimming, fishing, boating and other recreational opportunities. The Clinton Dam is a small park area that's perfect for sunning and solitude. Lakefront park, a short walk away, features beautiful gardens in front of gorgeous lakeside homes. Hyde Hall, a large country mansion, overlooks the lake. According to Hyde Hall promotional literature, the mansion is "a stunning reminder of a bygone American era when families of English aristocracy established vast estates in the former colonies.'' Glimmerglass State Park, at one end of the lake, is excellent for swimming in the summer, cross-country skiing in the winter and general roaming anytime.
Located near the shore of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown is Council Rock, a large boulder whose top is above the water's surface and can be seen from shore. At low water, the oval rock rises approximately 4.5 feet (1.4 m) above the water, and is about nine feet (2.7 m) long by six feet (1.8 m) wide. It is believed to have been a meeting place for Native Americans prior to the American Revolutionary War.
