Haven Lake

Haven Lake is one of a string of lakes and ponds near Milford, Delaware that are connected to and feeding the Mispillion River. This lake is one of the many lakes in Delaware that is great for kayaking, canoeing, boating, fishing, or just exploring nature in general. Haven Lake is located west of Milford, DE with Williamsville Road to the North and DuPont Boulevard, also known as Route 113, to the East. Access to the lake is off of Williamsville Road approximately one-half mile from the Milford –Harrington Highway also known as route 14 (See the orange circle in Figure 3). To find the entrance when on Williamsville Road, look for the sign seen in Figure 1 which identifies the entrance.

Figure 1 – Haven Lake Entrance

This pond is a good place for beginning kayakers because it has a moderately easy water entry and exit point, fairly shallow water depth in most areas of the lake, and since it is non-tidal there are only minor currents near the dam (See Figure 6) and at the western end of the lake where the Mispillion River connects to Griffith Lake. The only public entry point is a public access boat ramp (Figure 2) which includes parking for approximately eight (8) vehicles (See the red circle in Figure 3).

Figure 2 – Haven Lake Boat Ramp

The water entry is moderately easy via a very basic boat ramp with a concrete pad; however, there are no bulkheads or docks to use for assistance (Figure 2). The boat ramp is in relatively good condition and appears to be well kept. You can walk your kayak down the boat ramp as traction is relatively good. Kayak entry can be made either from the water on the boat ramp or from the lake’s edge. Either of these kayak entries does require good balance and some experience with kayak entry so the overall difficulty is beginner to moderate. Exiting your kayak via the ramp or the lake’s edge is almost as easy as the entry.

Figure 3 – Haven Lake (Google Earth, 2016)

Figure 4 – Haven Lake (Google Maps, 2016)

The shoreline measures approximately just over three (3) miles (see Figure 4) and the total surface water area is recorded as 82.5 acres (Haven lake, 2016). The depth of the pond ranges from a few inches at the edges and down the branches to seven (7) feet two (2) inches at maximum near the dam on the eastern edge of the lake (Figure 6). A small portion of the western part of the pond is covered with spatterdock or yellow water lilies (See Figure 5 and Figure 6) which can impede access to certain areas where the growth is especially thick.

Figure 5 – Haven Lake Spatterdock

Figure 6 – Haven Lake Spatterdock Coverage

 

There are two branches to the western part of the lake: the Lednum Branch and the Johnson Branch along with the continuation of the Mispillion River; and there is one branch towards the south-eastern part of the lake which is Bowman Branch. All of these are too shallow to be navigable. (See Figure 4).

Figure 7 – Haven Lake Dam

To the East of the Haven Lake is Silver Lake but Silver Lake is not directly accessible due to a dam (see Figure 7) at the Route 113 roadway that crosses the waterway. Due to the dam on the Eastern side of the lake, the lake is non-tidal; and, therefore, there is relatively no current except when you get close to the dam which is not recommended.

Figure 8 – Haven Lake Looking West

This lake is a beautiful location for kayaking, canoeing, boating, fishing, or just exploring nature in general (See Figure 10). If you want to explore nature you can expect to see turtles sunning themselves along the water’s edge and if you approach quietly and slowly you might be able to get a real close look (See Figure 8 and Figure 9). You can also expect to see Geese from time to time and if you are there during the right time of year you might see the whole family (See Figure 12). And, if you are lucky, you might catch sight of a Bald Eagle (Figure 11). They can sometimes be difficult to spot; but, during the right time of day, when they are hunting, you might have a better chance of spotting one.

Figure 9 – Two Turtles	Figure 10 – One Turtle
Figure 11 – A Goose, Gander, and their Goslings	Figure 12 – Bald Eagle

If you are interesting in boating (Boating Safety in Delaware, N.D.), fishing (Recreational Fishing Size, Seasons, and Creel Limits, 2016) or other recreational activities on the water, you may want to review the Delaware regulations ( Rules, Regulations, Laws, Policies, and Guidelines , N.D.) concerning such activities.

Bibliography

Rules, Regulations, Laws, Policies, and Guidelines . (N.D.). Retrieved 2016, from State of Delaware: http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Info/Pages/Rules.aspx

Boating Safety in Delaware. (N.D.). Retrieved 2016, from State of Delaware: http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Boating/pages/Delaware_Boating_Safety.aspx

Google Earth. (2016). Haven Lake. (T. Johnson, Ed.) Google Earth.

Google Maps. (2016). Haven Lake. (T. Johnson, Ed.) Google Maps.

Haven lake. (2016). Retrieved May 29, 2016, from Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control: http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Fisheries/Documents/Haven%20Lake11.pdf

Recreational Fishing Size, Seasons, and Creel Limits. (2016). Retrieved 2016, from State of Delaware: http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/fisheries/pages/recfishsizeseasoncreel.aspx