Senecaville Lake aka Seneca Lake: Potato, Potahto, Tomato, Tomahto

24 May 2015

Lake #32        Senecaville Lake, aka Seneca Lake, Noble and Guernsey Counties

It was a beautiful spring morning when I arrived at Senecaville Lake aka Seneca Lake. Choose your favorite name, I will use Seneca since it is shorter. The powers that be can't decide what to call it, half the signs say Senecaville and half say Seneca. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." The name selected does not affect what the lake is so take your pick. The "lake" is located approximately 13 miles southeast of Cambridge. Seneca Lake is located southeast of the intersection of I-70 and I-77. Take Highway 313 east off I-77. The dam was built in 1937 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which still owns it. The lake is owned and operated by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, which controls all boating, swimming, and camping. Seneca Lake is almost eight miles long if you could stretch it out and averages 10 to 20 feet deep.

Senecaville Lake aka Seneca Lake

Senecaville Dam 

Seneca Lake

There are only three boat ramps that serve this massive lake (3,550 acres). Only one is free for public use (the boat ramp near the dam, located off of State Route 574). There is a fee charged for the ramp at the campground and the Marina boat ramp is reserved for rental dock users. Since it was a holiday weekend, I assumed that the dam boat ramp would be swarmed with people. I chose to put in at the swimming beach instead. I had to pay a $5 fee to enter the swimming beach area but it was worth it since I didn't have to deal with any other boaters. It was the nicest Ohio swimming beach I have seen. It had two lifeguards and a cool water obstacle course. There were pit toilets, changing facilities, and a concession stand that I took advantage of after my paddle.

Seneca Beach 

Kayak Put In at Beach

Water Obstacle Course at Seneca Lake 

I Had a Nice Cold Drink After My Paddle

There was a lot of fast boat activity on the lake, several jet skiers as well. Seneca Lake has a 399 horsepower limit. I headed southeast after putting in at the beach.

Looking East Across Lake From Beach 

Heading Southeast, Other Kayakers in the Distance: I Wasn't the Only One Who Thought the Beach Was a Good Put In Location

Continuing Southeast, Jet Skiers Zooming Around

Pretty Lake But Not the Best for Kayaking

A Bit of Wave Action From All the Boats 

No Fun Nooks to Explore

I had a hard time finding a good place to take my baby duck's picture. I decided to name her Juliet since I used one of her lines from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I didn't have a balcony available but I did find a branch sticking out over the water.

Baby duck Juliet says, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

After my paddle, I went to check out the campground in Seneca Lake Park on the lake's south shore (there is another campground at Marina Point across from the dam). What I saw were the scariest looking cabins in my life. They looked like jail cell blocks.

Seneca Lake Jail Cells, I Mean Cabins

I then proceeded to check out the dam. The dam is located on the western shoreline. You can see two of the lake's three islands from the dam. There were nice views but the area was crowded with people and their power boats.

Big Island Viewed From Dam

Little Island Viewed From Dam

After checking out the views, I headed to my next lake, Belmont. On the way there I stopped to have lunch at Schlepp's Family Restaurant, 66645 Belmont Morristown Road, Belmont. I had a really tasty grilled cheese and bacon sandwich made on thick slices of homemade bread and a slice of homemade coconut cream pie for dessert. Too bad I can't get delivery.  

Schlepp's Family Restaurant

This Is Making Me Hungry

See you at the next lake.

May all your roads end in water,

Mama Duck Mona