Lake Willoughby
Encyclopedia
Lake Willoughby is a lake
in the town of Westmore
in Orleans County
in the northeast section
of Vermont
, United States
. Willoughby is a glacial lake
over 300 feet (91.4 m) deep in places, the deepest lake entirely contained in the state.
The lake's southern end is surrounded by the Willoughby State Forest. This state park includes Mount Pisgah
, Mount Hor
, and Bartlett Mountain.
.
. Prior to the floods of 1927, the river had three dams. All were destroyed by the flood. An iron bridge that ran from Evansville to Brownington Center was destroyed and rebuilt.
A dam where the Whetstone Dam had formerly stood, was rebuilt to run a sawmill, which was still in operation in 2008. The state Fish and Game Department bought the dam rights to allow rainbow trout to swim upriver.
action and is over 300' deep in places, making it the deepest lake entirely contained in the state. It resembles a Norwegian fjord
.
The rock between Mount Pisgah
on the east and Mount Hor
on the west was eroded by a valley ice lobe. This ice flow cut across the Willoughby granodiorite
and adjacent metamorphic rocks. The ice flow may have exploited highly fractured bedrock along the margin of the Willoughby pluton or joint surfaces within the pluton.
(wild and stocked), landlocked Atlantic salmon
(mainly stocked), rainbow smelt
, burbot
, yellow perch
, longnose sucker
, white sucker
, lake chub
, common shiner
, and round whitefish
which is a native species of extremely limited distribution in Vermont. The lake contains native fish.
The sheer cliffs of Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor provide an environment conducive for arctic and cliff-alpine plants, as well as ideal nesting areas for the rare peregrine falcon
.
More than 100 bird species has been recorded around the lake including thrushes, warblers, hummingbirds, jays, finches, loons, herons and gulls.
side of the lake at a less than halfway point from the lake's southern beach, is a popular diving spot for daring locals and vacationers. It takes its name from a crude, painted image of a devil on the front of the rock that faces out toward the lake.
Along the eastern shore, there are a series of natural waterslides that flow into Lake Willoughby.
— that an object (or drowning victim) lost in the former, would turn up in the latter eventually. This has been debunked by geologists.
, and ice fishing
. There is a nude beach on the lake's southern shore. Route 5A
runs along the lake's eastern edge.
In 2010, Yankee magazine
named Willoughby as the third best lake in New England.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the town of Westmore
Westmore, Vermont
Westmore is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 306 at the 2000 census, making it the least populated town in the county...
in Orleans County
Orleans County, Vermont
Orleans County is one of the four northernmost counties in the U.S. state of Vermont. It borders Canada. In 2010, the population was 27,231. Its county seat is Newport. As in the rest of New England, few governmental powers have been granted to the county...
in the northeast section
Northeast Kingdom
The Northeast Kingdom is a term used to describe the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont, comprising Essex, Orleans and Caledonia Counties and having a population of 62,438. In Vermont, the written term "NEK" is often used. The term is attributed to the late George D. Aiken, former...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Willoughby is a glacial lake
Glacial lake
A glacial lake is a lake with origins in a melted glacier. Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. A retreating glacier often left behind large deposits of ice in hollows between drumlins or hills. As the ice age ended, these melted to create...
over 300 feet (91.4 m) deep in places, the deepest lake entirely contained in the state.
The lake's southern end is surrounded by the Willoughby State Forest. This state park includes Mount Pisgah
Mount Pisgah (Vermont)
Mount Pisgah is a mountain in Westmore, Vermont. It is located on the east side of Lake Willoughby with an almost mirror reflection of itself on the other side of the lake known as Mount Hor. Together the two mountains are known as "Willoughby Notch"...
, Mount Hor
Mount Hor (Vermont)
Mount Hor is a mountain in Sutton, Vermont. It is located on the west side of Lake Willoughby with an almost mirror reflection of itself on the east side of the lake known as Mount Pisgah. Together the two mountains are known as "Willoughby Notch" or locally as "Willoughby Gap". Hiking trails...
, and Bartlett Mountain.
Hydrology
The lake is known for its clarity and chilly temperature. Its waters are slightly alkaline. Because of its depth, it freezes later than other lakes in the Northeast KingdomNortheast Kingdom
The Northeast Kingdom is a term used to describe the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont, comprising Essex, Orleans and Caledonia Counties and having a population of 62,438. In Vermont, the written term "NEK" is often used. The term is attributed to the late George D. Aiken, former...
.
Willoughby River
Willoughby River is the outlet from the lake and runs north to feed into the Barton RiverBarton River
The Barton River is a tributary of Lake Memphremagog, over long, in northern Vermont in the United States.It runs north from Glover through Barton, Brownington, Coventry and drains through Newport into Lake Memphremagog's South Bay.-Course:...
. Prior to the floods of 1927, the river had three dams. All were destroyed by the flood. An iron bridge that ran from Evansville to Brownington Center was destroyed and rebuilt.
A dam where the Whetstone Dam had formerly stood, was rebuilt to run a sawmill, which was still in operation in 2008. The state Fish and Game Department bought the dam rights to allow rainbow trout to swim upriver.
Geology
Lake Willoughby south east trending basin. It was created by glacialLaurentide ice sheet
The Laurentide Ice Sheet was a massive sheet of ice that covered hundreds of thousands of square miles, including most of Canada and a large portion of the northern United States, multiple times during Quaternary glacial epochs. It last covered most of northern North America between c. 95,000 and...
action and is over 300' deep in places, making it the deepest lake entirely contained in the state. It resembles a Norwegian fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
.
The rock between Mount Pisgah
Mount Pisgah (Vermont)
Mount Pisgah is a mountain in Westmore, Vermont. It is located on the east side of Lake Willoughby with an almost mirror reflection of itself on the other side of the lake known as Mount Hor. Together the two mountains are known as "Willoughby Notch"...
on the east and Mount Hor
Mount Hor (Vermont)
Mount Hor is a mountain in Sutton, Vermont. It is located on the west side of Lake Willoughby with an almost mirror reflection of itself on the east side of the lake known as Mount Pisgah. Together the two mountains are known as "Willoughby Notch" or locally as "Willoughby Gap". Hiking trails...
on the west was eroded by a valley ice lobe. This ice flow cut across the Willoughby granodiorite
Granodiorite
Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase than orthoclase-type feldspar. Officially, it is defined as a phaneritic igneous rock with greater than 20% quartz by volume where at least 65% of the feldspar is plagioclase. It usually contains abundant...
and adjacent metamorphic rocks. The ice flow may have exploited highly fractured bedrock along the margin of the Willoughby pluton or joint surfaces within the pluton.
Natural history
Willoughby is listed as a National Natural Landmark. A fisherman caught the world's largest lake trout, 39 pounds (17.7 kg), ever caught through the ice. Willoughby contains rainbow troutRainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
(wild and stocked), landlocked Atlantic salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
(mainly stocked), rainbow smelt
Rainbow smelt
The rainbow smelt, Osmerus mordax, is an anadromous species of fish of the family Osmeridae. The distribution of Osmerus mordax is circumpolar. The rainbow smelt was introduced to the Great Lakes, and from there has made its way to various other places. Walleye, trout, and other larger fish prey on...
, burbot
Burbot
The burbot is the only gadiform fish inhabiting freshwaters. It is also known as mariah, the lawyer, and eelpout. It is closely related to the marine common ling and the cusk...
, yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...
, longnose sucker
Longnose sucker
The longnose sucker, Catostomus catostomus, is a freshwater species of fish inhabiting cold, clear waters in North America from northern USA to the top of the continent. In addition, it is one of two species of sucker to inhabit Asia, specifically the rivers of eastern Siberia...
, white sucker
White Sucker
The White Sucker is a bottom-feeding freshwater fish inhabiting North America from Labrador in the north to Georgia and New Mexico in the south. It is a long, round-bodied fish with a dark green, grey, copper, brown, or black back and sides and a light underbelly. When fullgrown, it is between 12...
, lake chub
Lake chub
The Lake Chub, Couesius plumbeus, is a freshwater cyprinid fish found in Canada and in parts of the United States. Of all North American minnows, it is the one with the northernmost distribution. Its genus, Couesius The Lake Chub, Couesius plumbeus, is a freshwater cyprinid fish found in Canada and...
, common shiner
Common Shiner
The Common Shiner is a fish found in North America. They average in length between 2½ to 4 inches.-Description:The Common Shiner is silvery colored and has an "olive back with a dark dorsal stripe."...
, and round whitefish
Round whitefish
The round whitefish is a freshwater species of fish that is found in lakes from Alaska to New England, including the Great Lakes. It has an olive-brown back with light silvery sides and underside and its size is generally between 9 and 19 inches long...
which is a native species of extremely limited distribution in Vermont. The lake contains native fish.
The sheer cliffs of Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor provide an environment conducive for arctic and cliff-alpine plants, as well as ideal nesting areas for the rare peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
.
More than 100 bird species has been recorded around the lake including thrushes, warblers, hummingbirds, jays, finches, loons, herons and gulls.
History
A tiny steam boats operated on the lake for tourists from 1884 to the early 1900s when steam was replaced by the gasoline engine.Local customs and culture
Devil's Rock, located on the Mount PisgahMount Pisgah (Vermont)
Mount Pisgah is a mountain in Westmore, Vermont. It is located on the east side of Lake Willoughby with an almost mirror reflection of itself on the other side of the lake known as Mount Hor. Together the two mountains are known as "Willoughby Notch"...
side of the lake at a less than halfway point from the lake's southern beach, is a popular diving spot for daring locals and vacationers. It takes its name from a crude, painted image of a devil on the front of the rock that faces out toward the lake.
Along the eastern shore, there are a series of natural waterslides that flow into Lake Willoughby.
Willy the Lake Monster
Similar to other lakes in the surrounding area, Willoughby has adopted its own legend of a sea monster, named Willy.Myth
Legend stated that the higher Lake Willoughby had an underground aquifer that fed Crystal LakeCrystal Lake (Vermont)
Crystal Lake is near the village of Barton in Orleans County, Vermont. It is a glacial lake and deep in places. Route 5 runs along the lake's western shore. Crystal Lake is in the northeast section of the state of Vermont...
— that an object (or drowning victim) lost in the former, would turn up in the latter eventually. This has been debunked by geologists.
Economy
Lake facilities offer swimming, hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, and ice fishing
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 anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
. There is a nude beach on the lake's southern shore. Route 5A
Vermont Route 5A
Vermont Route 5A is a state highway in northeastern Vermont, United States. It is an alternate route of U.S. Route 5 that passes along the east shore of Lake Willoughby...
runs along the lake's eastern edge.
In 2010, Yankee magazine
Yankee (magazine)
Yankee Magazine was founded in 1935 and is based in Dublin, New Hampshire. It is the only magazine devoted to New England through its coverage of travel, home, food, and features...
named Willoughby as the third best lake in New England.