Squantz Pond State Park is located approximately 8 miles (13 km) north of Danbury, Connecticut in the towns of Sherman, Connecticut and New Fairfield, Connecticut, in Fairfield County. It is part of Candlewood Lake but is separated from the main body of the lake by Route 39. Squantz Pond is natural in origin; however, its level was raised when Candlewood Lake was impounded in 1923. The lake has a surface area of approximately 288 acres (1.2 km²), a maximum depth of 47 feet (14 m), an average depth of 22.9 feet (7 m), and holds approximately 2 billion US gallons (7,600,000 m³) of water.

The shoreline bottom materials consist mostly of rocks, ledge, and gravel. Mud and organic muck cover the relatively flat areas of the bottom. The lake is fed by Glen Brook from the north, Worden Brook from the west, and several small unnamed streams.

The watershed of Squantz Pond is 3,635 acres (15 km²). Woodlands, wetlands, and water comprise approximately 80 percent of the watershed, 15 percent is moderate to low-density housing, while the remaining 5 percent is open land and farm land.

The eastern shoreline is developed with homes, while the western shoreline is steep and wooded. The southwestern shoreline borders Squantz Pond State Park. Facilities in the park include concession stands, picnic areas, beach and swimming areas, toilets, and hiking trails.

Public access to Squantz Pond is provided through a state owned boat launch located in the State Park. Boats launched from the State Park are limited to a maximum of 7.5 horsepower (6 kW). The launch can be reached by taking Interstate 84, Exit 6 to Route 37 north, to Route 39 north to the State Park entrance.

The launch has a ramp of concrete pads with an asphalt approach. There is parking for 25 cars at the launch.

Location Map:

USGS Quadrangle: Pawling

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Directions Map: Google Map

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Additional Info:

Zebra Mussels

Site History:

Settlers from Fairfield, Connecticut received approval from the General Assembly to establish a new township and they negotiated with Chief Squantz of the Schaghticoke , a tribe of Algonquian lineage. They "purchased" a 32,000 acre (130 km²) tract of land, that is now New Fairfield and Sherman, for the equivalent of about 300 dollars and on April 24, 1729, The deed was recorded on May 9,1729, and is now deposited in the archives of the State Capitol in Hartford, Connecticut.

It is said that Squantz Pond State Park takes its name from Chief Squantz who lived at the northern tip of the lake, which is now separated from the rest of Candlewood Lake by the Route 39 causeway. Before becoming a state park, the area around Squantz Pond was also a farm and an apple orchard. Despite many changes to the land, the presence of the original residents is still marked by occasionally uncovered artifacts such as stone adzes, mallets and other tools. The remains of an Indian canoe over 22 feet long and 5 feet wide was raised from the bottom of the lake, leading to speculation that even before the settlers came, Squantz Pond may have been much larger than it was just prior to its expansion during the flooding of Candlewood Lake.