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Lake Ronkonkoma is the largest lake on Long Island. It is just over 242 acres in size. Most of the lake is less than 15 feet in depth, but has a maximum depth of about 65 feet. There is a old myth that the lake is bottomless, however with modern technology we can conclude that it is not.
The lake supports a large population of fresh water fish comprising of the following species, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, White Perch, Yellow Perch, Bluegills, Black Crappie, Brown Bullhead, Golden Shiners, Carp, Walleyes and Tiger Muskellunge.
The Tiger Muskellunge were stocked in the lake from 1985 to 1993 with the hope of providing some trophy fishing for anglers, but the returns on the investment were disappointing so the stocking was discontinued in 1993. The average life span of a Tiger Muskellunge is thought to be anywhere from 7 to 12 years of age. Open season for Walleyes, Northern Pike, and Tiger Muskellunge runs the 1st Saturday in May through March 15 with a minimum size limit of 30 inches for Tiger Muskellunge.
Walleyes are also stocked in the lake by the DEC. They started stocking them in 1994 and since 1997 and have continued to stock them at a rate of 10,000 annually. It is hoped that the Walleyes will help to control the over abundance of White Perch in the lake.
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