Lake Nockamixon is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

in southeastern

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States, and the largest lake in

Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

. It is formed by a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

Tohickon Creek Tohickon Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the Delaware River. Located entirely in Bucks County, in southeastern Pennsylvania, it r ...

and is the centerpiece of

Nockamixon State Park Nockamixon State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Bedminster and Haycock Townships in northern Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park is one of the most popular in southeastern Pennsylvania, with most tourists visiti ...

. Swimming is not allowed in the lake, but boating is popular. The park maintains a marina and a boat rental as well as three other boat-launch areas. Sailboating is popular on the lake, with an active sail club organizing activities. Kayaking and small motor (up to 20 hp permitted) boating for fishing and recreation is also plentiful.

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

from boats and the bank is popular, and common species include striped bass,

walleye The walleye (''Sander vitreus'', synonym ''Stizostedion vitreum''), also called the yellow pike or yellow pickerel, is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the Northern United States. It is a North American close relat ...

, pickerel, carp, largemouth and smallmouth bass,

muskellunge The muskellunge ''(Esox masquinongy)'', often shortened to muskie, musky or lunge is a species of large freshwater predatory fish native to North America. It is the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae. Origin of name The name "muskell ...

, and

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...

. The water is stained by vegetation and has a very faint current, since the lake is part of the course of

. It is also fed by two other creeks known as Haycock Run and Three Mile Run. Lake Nockamixon Marina

In the winter, the water sometimes freezes over, allowing for ice skating and

ice fishing Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities. Shelters Longe ...

. The lake is surrounded by horse trails which provide for hiking as well. Visitors to the lake can stay in one of several cabins, at nearby Weisel Youth Hostel, or at one of the many local private campgrounds. Water is released from the dam (assuming the reservoir has enough water) on the 3rd full weekend of March and the first full weekend of November to facilitate whitewater paddling on Tohickon Creek. The releases provide enough water to paddle all of the creek, from below the dam to confluence with the Delaware River. The most popular section is the last 3 miles, from

Ralph Stover State Park Ralph Stover State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Plumstead and Tinicum Townships, Bucks County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is a very popular destination for whitewater kayaking on Tohickon Creek and rock climbing on High ...

to the Delaware River. Releases are timed to provide sufficient flows in that section from about 9 AM until 4 PM on both Saturday and Sunday.

History

Creation of the lake was first proposed by the Secretary of the Department of Forests and Water, Dr. Maurice K. Goddard, for recreational uses. It was originally to be called Tohickon Lake, after the creek, but its name was later changed to Nockamixon, meaning "place of soft soil" in the Lenape language. The park today contains several historic Native American sites. Following its proposal in 1958, the dam was built by the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters. The state park was opened to the public in December 1973. In order to create the lake, the state bought 5,286 acres of what was known as the Tohickon Valley, including the community of Tohickon, and surrounding Bucks County areas.

Climate

Hot-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(''Dfa'') The average annual snowfall total at Lake Nockamixon is greater than 24 inches (61 cm) but less than 36 inches (91 cm).

References

{{authority control Nockamixon, Lake Protected areas of Bucks County, Pennsylvania Bodies of water of Bucks County, Pennsylvania