Lake Oscawana is a
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
at the heart of
Putnam Valley,
New York State
New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
The lake has a depth that ranges from to at its deepest. The lake is fed by a stream from its north end and it drains out into Oscawana Creek at the middle of its southeastern shore. It is located between two hill ranges. Oscawana Creek merges into
Peekskill Hollow Creek
Peekskill Hollow Creek is a creek in central western Putnam County, New York, Putnam County, New York, mainly in the town of Putnam Valley, New York, Putnam Valley. Approximately in length, it originate as the outflow of Lake Tibet in the southw ...
near the intersection of Peekskill Hollow Road and Oscawana Lake Road in Putnam Valley the hamlet of
Lake Peekskill.
The lake has a number of houses around its edges, and a peculiar rock formation (Goose rocks) in the center of the lake, accessible most safely by kayak or canoe. Lake Oscawana provides summer recreation, and some local residents use the lake for boating, swimming, and fishing - from one of the lake's several private beaches.
It features a variety of wildlife including fish, Canada geese, water snakes, turtles, and an occasional stork. In the summer it is cleaned regularly by a floating weed harvester. In the winter, the lake freezes over and allows for ice skating and ice fishing. Legend has it there are several cars at the bottom of lake from when the ice was not thick enough.
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
is known to have spent some time on the lake which housed many hotels and resorts in the 1930s. His favorite was called the Casino. Another former resident was
Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider (; November 10, 1932 – February 10, 2008) was an American actor and amateur boxer. Described by AllMovie as "one of the most unique and distinguished of all Hollywood actors", he gained fame for his leading and supporting ...
. Scheider's house, which is still owned by his former wife, was filmed in the Adirondack Lake house scene in ''
The Sopranos
''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...
'' episode, "
Soprano Home Movies
"Soprano Home Movies" is the 78th episode
of the HBO television drama series ''The Sopranos'' and the 13th episode of the sixth season. It served as the midseason premiere to the second part of Season 6, which HBO broadcast in two parts.
The ep ...
".
The Sopranos location guide
/ref>
References
External links
* The Lake in 186
Putnam Valley
{{authority control
Oscawana
Oscawana