Lake Lefferts
Lake Lefferts | |
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Location | Matawan, New Jersey |
Coordinates | 40°24′52″N 74°14′05″W / 40.4145522°N 74.2345892°WCoordinates: 40°24′52″N 74°14′05″W / 40.4145522°N 74.2345892°W |
Type | Reservoir |
Surface elevation | 13 feet (4.0 m)[1] |
Lake Lefferts (Latitude: 40.414552, Longitude: -74.234589) is a man-made lake in Matawan, New Jersey.[2] The lake is the result of the construction in 1928 of Lake Lefferts Dam, which captured and stores the flow of Matawan Creek.
Matawan Creek was the site of a shark attack during the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916. The events inspired author Peter Benchley's book ‘Jaws’, which was eventually turned into a movie by director Steven Spielberg.
The lake offers today a recreational outdoor area on the Ravine Drive side, where Sal Traina used to live, offers a public fishing dock, boat launch and canoe rental. The restaurant MJ's at Buttonwood Manor, a sports bar, dining room and catering facility, borders the lake and is accessible from Route 34. The lake is home to sunnies, bluegill , crappies, bass, catfish, and pickerel.