Killingly Pond/Killingly Reservoir, East Killingly, CT
- By Lou
- June 7, 2014
- Comments Off on Killingly Pond/Killingly Reservoir, East Killingly, CT
Click to enlarge photos/copyright info at end.
The clear water found in most areas of Old Killingly Pond
Killingly Pond Reservoir
Pond Road, East Killingly, CT (N E Connecticut)
Last visited: Prior to 2015
NOTE: The rocks in the back area of this pond are private property. Please stay off those rocks and honor all no tresspassing signs. Thank you.
Killingly Reservoir (sometimes referred to as Killingly Pond or Old Killingly Pond) is one of 5 reservoirs clustered together in East Killingly, CT. Being spring fed, it is colder than other ponds in the area and resists over growth of algae and other green plants found in the area. As a result, the water is very clear in most areas of the pond. If you look closely at the pic above, you’ll see the rocks beneath the clear water. We took a quick spin around this pond to give you a peek after paddling on the more interesting Eddy Pray Reservoir and found ourselves looking into the water as much as we were looking around us because we could see fish very clearly in the shallower parts of the pond. We even saw a few bass.
I saw the most interesting display of depth perception at this location. The heavier end of a fallen tree was submerged towards the bottom of the pond and the top was floating near the surface. Looking down the shaft of this displaced tree was not comparable to anything that I’d seen before. Saying 20′ and seeing it displayed in this manner are two very different things. It was a remarkable visual experience in the clear water of this pond. I tried to snap a photo; but, it didn’t capture what we were viewing first hand.
Killingly Pond is a typical reservoir. It is sparsely populated and pretty much looks the same all the way around it–a typical sit-n-spin. I would not recommend driving out to do this particular pond if you’re looking for wildlife and interesting scenery. This pond would be good for fishing (we saw bass), exercise, or someone who requires easy access to an easy paddle. It’s an easy paddle for beginners; but, keep in mind there are areas where the depth reaches 20 feet; beginners should not be paddling this alone!
I almost drowned paddling this reservoir as a teenager. I was an experienced paddler who was fooling around, as teenagers do, and my kayak flipped! I was wearing lace up boots that were pulling me under and no life jacket to help keep me on the surface. My overturned kayak and life jacket were floating too far from me and my friends didn’t believe I was in trouble! They later said that they thought I was trying to trick them into coming close so I could retaliate for the dunk; they didn’t initially believe I was in trouble because I was an experienced paddler. Due to the depth and size of the pond, I would recommend beginners wear a life jacket and bring an experienced person with them!
When I was a teenager this was a busy hang-out for people swimming, fishing, boating, and gathering. I spent a lot of time here, and in this area, growing up. I swam off that wall that now sports the overgrown chain link fence. Since that time, it has been fenced off with only a small entry area (shown below). This pond held my interest when it was within range of peddling my bike to get there; however, as an adult who can drive further, I would not recommend driving out to paddle this pond unless you’re fishing.
The photo above shows the launch area which is at the left side of the long over-grown chain-link fence (I have pics from before the fence was there and will post them if/when I have time to look for them). Parking is sparse, but I didn’t find that there was competition for it. We stopped in for this quick paddle around to show you this pond on a week day evening though and not the potentially busier weekend. I doubt that it is still as busy as it once was back in the day even on the weekends.
Take Pond Road from Rte 101 in East Killingly. You’ll first see Middle Reservoir on your left and Alvia Chase Reservoir on your right. Proceed a minute up the road to Killingly Pond (on right). Eddy Pray Reservoir is past Killingly Pond on the right. See Eddy Pray Reservoir post for directions: it can be a bit elusive if you don’t know what you’re looking for–and it’s a more interesting paddle!
Other sites mentioned in post (click site to view):
Alvia Chase Reservoir, East Killingly, CT
Bog Meadow Reservoir, East Killingly, CT
Eddy Pray Reservoir, East Killingly, CT
Middle Reservoir, East Killingly, CT
PADDLE KILLINGLY, CT
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