Map(s)
 Road map (898x671). 118K size.
Scenery 
Northern section
Good; the shoreline seems to be heavily-lined with trees, with some small cliffs. On a hot day, consider hugging the shore, to stay in the shade of the tall trees. The western shore has a lot of nooks & crannies to explore. The northern end is quite interesting with a few small streams to explore.
During an April 2007 trip, saw a bunch of osreys. One was carrying a fish, another sitting in a tree, and a few others were checking me out. Never have I seen so many. This is also the only place were I have seen ospreys; they were perched on the northern shore, NW of the dam.
The northwestern end is where Haycock Creek empties into the lake (on the map, look at the area west of route 563). During a June 2002 trip, I was able to make it to the Church Lane bridge, but on an April 2000 trip (higher water levels), I got past the bridge . . . but not by much. This part of the lake is weedy like the southern section. There is a windmill near the house at the far end of this section; which I do not remember seeing in 2008 on Hiroshima Day (last time in this area).
Southern section
Weedy, and is one of the first areas to freeze in late fall. Many of the shore areas are weedy & present a problem to skegs & rudders. Too weedy when the water warms up, and too shallow during a drought, this section can be interesting. Eventually, the water gets too shallow, after crossing south of route 313 ... even for a kayak! When the route 313 bridge comes into view, watch where you are paddling, because there are rocks & tree stumps just below the surface. (And if that does not stop you, watch out for the muck ... stay to west, on approach to route 313.) Keep your eyes open & you might see the wild turkeys. On a windy day, this area is calm.
Taking at detour into the western branch, that passes under route 563, the southern shore is lined with floating logs & weeds. On the north shore, near the entrance to the main lake, there are 2 sets of wood pilings ... something is being constructed. South of the wood pilings, a beaver (beavers?) has been busy.
General
Maycock Mountain, with an elevation fo 960 feet, is visible from all parts of the lake if you look to the north. In spring 2005, I saw 2 large white birds. Swans? Doubt it...swans attack, these did not. Probably American geese. Update: On 16-Sep-2009, I saw a tame swan, sitting on the grass at the Haycock launch area. Kept an eye on me, but left me alone.
There are wild turkeys on the western shore, near route 313 ... heard them, but have not seen them. On the 17-Sep-2008 trip, saw a beaver swimming north of the fishing pier. Found another beaver lodge on the western shore, between the marina & Tochickon ... have to start logging & reporting the latitude and longitude.
From a trip planning standpoint, the marina & Tohickon make good lunch stops from either 3 Mile Run or Haycock.
For those of you who have not invested in a kayak yet, the lake has kayak rental office, south of the marina. Most, if not of these, appear to be plastic sit-on-tops; both singles & divorce boats.
Fees
PA Launch Permit Costs
| Time Frame |
Cost |
|
| 1 to 7 days |
$5 |
| 1 yr |
$10 |
| 2 yrs |
$18 |
Goto the PA Fish & Boat Commission web site. Click on the Un-powered Boat Launch Permit App. link. (This is form PFBC-769. Make sure that you have the Adobe PDF reader installed.) Print out & fill out the form, then either either snail mail it (enclosing a check) to the address listed, or take it to a state park office. This application applies only to the yearly permits. Goto the state park office for the one-week permits.
The yearly permits are good to 31-Dec of whatever year they expire; they used to be good until the end of March of the following year. Remember: These are launch permits, not parking permits. Unlike the NJ permits, which charge by the car, PA charges by the boat.
Of interest: The current fee structure does NOT distinguish, based on state residency. This makes PA a great deal, especially compared to Spruce Run & Round Valley in NJ.
Hours of Operation
8:00 → dusk. But you might be able to go out after dark, if you have marine running lights.
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Directions
Take route 95 south, over the Delaware River to exit 49 west. This is route 332 west. It eventually merges with route 413 north. Continue to follow route 413 north, after route 332 turns to the left at a traffic light. At the next light, make a right, staying on route 413. You will then make a left at the next traffic light, staying on route 413 north. Route 413 eventually merges with route 611 north.
Western Launches: After Quarry Road, route 611 bends to the right. Make the left onto route 412 west. After 0.6 mi, make a left onto route 563 south.
1.3 mi after turning onto route 563, is the Haycock boat launch entrance, on the left. Tohickon is less than a mile south of Haycock, and the marina is south of the entrance to Tohickon boat launch.
Follow the signs to the boat launch ramp, then swing around and park near the shore area in Tohickon.
3 Mile Run: At the route 113 intersection, make a left. Route 113 is also known as Bedminster Road. Take this between 4.6 to 4.7 mi to Woodside Road. Make a 135-degree right turn onto Woodside Road. At the end, make a right onto Elephant Road.
Follow Elephant Road to the end, where you see the lake. After seeing the lake, the road bends to the left & is now called Three Mile Run Road. The park entrance in on your right. (Distance from route 113: 4 miles.)
Like Haycock there is a boat ramp, but it is better to launch at either the extreme left or right of the boat launch area. These two areas are course gravel, compared to huge rocks or the boat ramp; both require some manuavering. Park your car in the designated parking area.
Parking
All 4 launch locations have plenty of parking. But stay away from Tochickon on the 3rd Sunday of each month: Sailboaters take over the place, and some have mastered the art of parking perpendicular to the parking lines. (As opposed to within them.)
Distance to the Launch Area
About 20 to 30 feet. Of the 3 western launch sites (marina, Tohickon, and Haycock), Tohickon is the closest to the parking area. 3 Mile Run is not far, but because of the asphalt, it is safer to drop the boat off.
Restrooms
The marina and 3 Mile Run have real restrooms w. running water. Tohickon and Haycock have buildings with sewage pits (outhouses). Both outhouses are locked & have been for some time. Looks like the park system has replaced them with port-a-johns, containing hand sanitizers.
Seen the restrooms open as late in the year as early December. But on 20-Mar-2010, the restrooms at 3 Mile Run & the marina were closed; outhouse at the fishing pier was open.
PA State Parks! Get on the ball, and straighten out this mess.
Status of Launch Area
Tochickon has a long stretch of shoreline, near the parking area is the best spot. The fine gravel slopes gently. (As opposed to the other 3 launch areas, which drop off quickly.) But something has to be done about those BLASTED Canadian geese! This launch area is littered heavily with their droppings, making it nearly impossible to walk on the grass.
On a windy day, stick with Haycock in the north. The course gravel to the right of the boat ramp, is tolerable.
Wind Conditions
For such a narrow lake, surrounded by trees, the winds are surprisingly problematic. During several outings in the spring, they were in the range of 10 to 15 mph, but the wave action wasn't that bad. They are at their worst near the dam in the northern part of the lake. The marina area was no picnic either.
Power Boats
As of 2003, the limit has been raised to 20 hp. Gas-powered boats tend to stay put once they find a good fishing spot.
Foliage
Good. The nicest areas are between the marina and the Haycock launch. The eastern & western shores, south of the dam, are spectacular.
Rolling Practice?
Given the winds, consider a different location to practice.
Boat Rentals
Boat rentals include kayaks, canoes, powerboats, and more. Check out their web site.
More Information . . .
For more info about Lake Nockamixon, go to Nockamixon State Park.
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Road map (898x671). 118K size.