What's Happening

The YLPA sponsors a few fishing tournaments during the summer. The first contest of the season is always the “Bass Master's Tournament,” which will be held Saturday morning, 22 June, from 6 AM to noon.

This contest is for the “serious angler,” with the winner being the catcher of the heaviest combined total of up to three large mouth bass. The Tournament Host will be on a raft near the dam, close to the Heyney Islands, with an air horn and scales. Your boat must be registered with the Host before you start catching fish. The cost is $50 per boat.

There can be up to three adults in the boat, at least one of whom must be current with respect to YLPA dues. You have to be in a boat with the blue YLPA sticker and current Year Tag. You may register any time during the 6 AM to 12 noon time window.

The contest ends when the Host blows the air horn at 12 noon. Your fish must have been logged in before the horn blows. The prize goes to the catcher of the heaviest combined weight of up to three large mouth bass. We don't care what kind of bait you use, as long as it's legal. Important: the fish must be alive at the time that it is weighed. We encourage catch and release.

The Tournament Host keeps a record of the boats that have registered and the official record of their catches. He will announce the winner at 12 noon. There is only one winner and one prize—no second or third place.

For the Bass Master's Tournament, the fee is $50 per boat. We take the total of all fees paid in, and give half of that total as the prize, and contribute the other half to the fish re-stocking program for the Lake. The prize has generally earned the winner $350 to $400, with a maximum payout of $500.

In case of thunderstorms, the contest will be canceled (no rain date).

The YLPA executed a project to increase our ability to quickly lower the lake level between summer and winter levels, or in case of hurricanes or emergencies declared by the State. Updates below are presented from the most recent (Week 10) to the start (Week 0) of the project.

Week 10 Update: 26 November 2020

The YLPA Dam committee is pleased to report that the State-required maintenance work on the dam has been completed. We have informed the New York State DEC that the work is complete and are awaiting their final inspection and approval.

The cofferdam has been removed, and the outlet channel already has 16 inches of water, while maintaining downstream flow to the Pine Kill. The lake is steadily returning to the normal winter level.

In addition to the State-required work, we have also created a new protective grate over the outlet channel.

We are currently in the process of improving the internal workings of the walkway platform, access stairs, and stop-log lifting system. We will continue to perform these improvements, as well as other maintenance and repair work, as the weather permits.

The dam and outlet channel are now in better shape than they have ever been before. We thank all our members who made donations towards this work. We are within the budget provided, with the help of many volunteer hours and loaned equipment.

Week 7 Update: 8 November 2020

The YLPA is pleased to report that the patching and smoothing of the dam's outlet channel is now complete.

We had previously sealed all the openings at the inlet and since then have been patching, repairing and smoothing the entire length of the channel. In the photo, you can see the before and after smoothing.

In addition, we have replaced the protective timber grating which had deteriorated. During the work process, the downstream flow to the Pine Kill was maintained via pumping over the top of the dam. When pumping is discontinued, downstream flow will be maintained via the new channel.

We have some minor work to complete inside the channel and are scheduled to remove the cofferdam on or about November 17. The lake has already begun to refill. Once the cofferdam is removed, we will monitor the outlet regularly to allow the lake to rise steadily while maintaining the downstream flow to the Pine Kill.

Week 5 Update: 25 October 2020

The dam project continues to make very good progress and we are in the final stages of smoothing the concrete spillway. The pictures show how rough the channel is after chipping, and the first step of the smoothing process.

We have discontinued pumping from the lake and are currently maintaining the downstream flow to the Pine Kill with water from inside the cofferdam. We anticipate finishing the project in approximately two weeks.

Week 4 Update: 20 October 2020

We have accomplished the first and most important task of significantly reducing the seepage at the outlet chamber by plugging the low flow pipe and lower outlet chamber with concrete. We are in the process of lowering the upper spillway at the outlet channel, which will greatly improve flow capacity and allow better control of the lake level.

The crew is now squaring off the sides and bottom. We anticipate the chipping will be done by the middle of this week. After that, we can make remaining repairs and apply the smooth surface for the channel. We must also replace the protective grate on the front of the channel inlet before removing the cofferdam.

Week 3 Update: 11 October 2020

Your Dam Committee is pleased to report that we have accomplished our main goal of sealing the outlet chamber to strengthen the structure and limit future leaks.

After a few days using vacuum excavation and cleaning out this area — which has not seen the light of day for at least 50 years — we found a section of what may have been concrete which had completely decomposed into gravel. We located and thoroughly cleaned out the bottom 15-inch pipe, prepared it for grouting, and placed additional new concrete to seal the area that was allowing water to seep through the dam for decades.

Now that this very important portion of the work is complete, we can continue with the next task of lowering and smoothing the main outlet channel and restoring the protective grate at the spillway.

Week 2 Update: 3 October 2020

The dam committee is pleased to report that the lake has been lowered sufficiently to allow the safe installation of the cofferdam. The committee apologizes to the year-round residents for the pump noise, but the lake simply was not draining fast enough to ensure the entire project could be completed and the cofferdam removed before the first freeze.

We are currently at the point where we have created a dry enough condition within the cofferdam to allow us to begin our work within the outlet structure. The contractors will be on-site to evaluate the conditions and better understand the details as to how the work must be done.

Regarding fish and wildlife: the lake is large enough and deep enough to maintain a safe environment for the fish. There were several curious fish swimming around while we were installing the cofferdam, along with a turtle and a bald eagle. They were all doing fine.

The board members and dam committee are committed to getting this done correctly. The new outlet channel will be smoother and will flow more efficiently, ultimately allowing better control of the lake level in future years.

Week 0: Dam Maintenance Work Set to Begin

After many years of preparation and coordination with State officials, the time has finally arrived for our long-planned maintenance of the Yankee Lake Dam. Professional grade pumps will arrive in late September and will be visible, audible, and used as needed throughout the duration of the project.

The “Portadam” brand cofferdam is due to be installed during the week of 28 September. Do not approach anywhere near this cofferdam — any breach could cause life-threatening harm to those working on this project. Trespassers will be prosecuted. A security camera has been mounted to monitor the site 24/7.

As the project progresses, you will likely observe a collection of mechanical equipment up on the dam — industrial pumps, a crane, cement trucks, and other professional vehicles. The low lake level offers a unique opportunity to do repairs at your lake front and to clean up the lakebed around your property.

Reminder: the stumps and submerged logs are the “bones” of our lake and a critical part of the ecosystem. You are never authorized to cut, move, or remove any stump or log without prior written approval of the YLPA Board of Directors.

We will be spending down the Dam Fund that we have so prudently saved over the years. If you are in a position to help replenish this fund so that we are in good standing should any future unplanned work be necessary, we'd be most grateful to receive a contribution. Checks should be made payable to “Yankee Lake Preservation Association” and mailed to the address below.