Otsego Lake

Otsego Lake is a glacially formed lake in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, and it is the water basin for the village of Cooperstown. Many people think of Cooperstown for baseball, but the lake is just as much a part of its identity, known for clean, clear water and as the source of the Susquehanna River.

Writer James Fenimore Cooper nicknamed it Glimmerglass in his Leatherstocking Tales, a nod to its pristine waters. The name Otsego itself comes from an Iroquois word for “place of the rock,” a reference to Council Rock at the southern tip of the lake, where the five Haudenosaunee nations once met.

What to Know

• Swimmers, kayakers and boaters all use the lake, which runs about 7.8 miles.
• Glimmerglass State Park sits at the northern end, with campsites, pavilions, a lifeguarded swimming area and hiking trails.
• The state park is also home to Hyde Hall Covered Bridge, one of the oldest covered bridges in the country.
• Kingfisher Tower, a 60-foot Gothic Revival tower on the eastern shore, was built by Edward Clark to beautify the lake and give local stonemasons work.
• Much of the eastern shore is undeveloped, which helps protect the lake’s watershed.