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Speedwell Forge Dam

Elizabeth, Pennsylvania — Lancaster County.

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95Surface acres
3Public access sites
1.3 miShoreline trails

Surface area: The USGS National Hydrography Dataset outline (NHD Permanent ID 57479437).

Location & fast facts

Where Speedwell Forge Dam is in Pennsylvania

The red circle marks Speedwell Forge Dam.

Fast facts

About Speedwell Forge Dam

  • County: Lancaster
  • Town: Elizabeth
  • Mapped as: Lake or pond (USGS National Hydrography Dataset)
  • Distance: about 30 mi from Harrisburg and 194 mi from Pittsburgh, straight-line (not driving distance)

Towns and counties: U.S. Census Bureau boundaries overlaid on the USGS lake outline.

Fishing in Pennsylvania

Official PFBC pages. Rules and fees change; check before you go.

Good for & watch for

Good for

  • Boating. 3 public trailer launches listed (see access)
  • Fishing. Largemouth bass, Black crappie, White crappie and Bluegill
  • Walking. 1.3 mi of trail near the shore (trails)
  • Camping. 19 campgrounds within 15 mi (list)

Watch for

  • Boat traffic. A public trailer launch means motorboats share the water; expect more traffic on summer weekends.
  • Cold water. Water stays cold well into late spring and turns cold again in fall. Wear a life jacket when paddling in the shoulder seasons.

Built only from the data on this page: official access lists, OpenStreetMap beaches and trails, campground listings, state and USGS invasive-species records. We don't rate crowds or water quality.

Official fishing data (PA Fish and Boat Commission)

106Acres (state figure)

Fish species listed by PFBC biologists as warmwater/coolwater fishing opportunities: Black crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth bass, Channel catfish, White crappie.

Source: Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) warmwater/coolwater fisheries lakes and stocked trout waterbodies (via PASDA), record for Speedwell Forge Lake ***Drawdown Status, Lancaster County. See PFBC fishing for regulations and stocking schedules. Acreage here can differ slightly from our mapped outline.

Lake map

Speedwell Forge Dam shoreline, boat launches & beaches

Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be Usable (Boat launch)1Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be Usable (Boat launch)2Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be Usable (Boat launch)3½ mileN

Numbers on the map match the list at rightbelow.

Boat launchShoreline trail
  1. 1Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be Usable
    Boat launch · Elizabeth
  2. 2Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be Usable
    Boat launch · Elizabeth
  3. 3Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be Usable
    Boat launch · Elizabeth

Shoreline: USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD Waterbody, Permanent ID 57479437), public domain. State outline: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb. Points: PFBC fishing and boating access points. Dashed trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Interactive map: Leaflet with © OpenStreetMap contributors. Not for navigation.

Shoreline trails

1.3 miTrail within 100 m of shore
About 35%Of the shoreline
NoLoops the whole lake
North, east and south shoresWhere

OpenStreetMap shows about 1.3 mi of public hiking and walking trail within about 100 m (330 ft) of the Speedwell Forge Dam shoreline, mostly along the north, east and south shores.

Trails along the shore

Getting to the trails

No trailhead is mapped for these trails. The closest public access site is Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be Usable, right on a shoreline trail (PA Fish & Boat Commission access data).

The dashed brown line on the lake map shows these trails. We include paths, footways and marked trails that OpenStreetMap doesn't mark as private, and leave out roads, sidewalks and snowmobile corridors. Mapped trails can still cross private land or close for the season, and not every trail is mapped, so follow posted signs.

Trails: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). Map data as of Oct 9, 2026. Trail lengths count only the parts within about 100 m of the USGS NHD lake outline.

Campgrounds near Speedwell Forge Dam

We found 19 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles of Speedwell Forge Dam, 2 of them within 5 miles. Distances are straight-line from the nearest point on the shoreline, so driving distance is longer.

13 more within 15 miles

All campgrounds & RV parks in Pennsylvania

Green tent icons on the lake map mark campgrounds near the shore, and the interactive map shows the closest 12. Amenities are listed only where a source records them; call or check the campground's website before you go, since seasons and rates change every year.

Campground data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Pulled Oct 12, 2026.

Conditions right now

Air temperature & conditions (nearest NWS station)Loading…
Fetching the latest National Weather Service observation…

Live from the National Weather Service API for the lake's coordinates (40.2086, -76.3165). The nearest station may be several miles away. NWS forecast for Speedwell Forge Dam. No live water-temperature sensor is shown because we haven't found a public one for this lake.

Sun, moon & best fishing times

Sun & moon at Speedwell Forge Dam

Best fishing times

Major periodMinor periodDaylight

    Based on solunar theory, an estimate. Major periods (about 2 hours) center on when the moon is directly overhead or underfoot; minor periods (about 1 hour) center on moonrise and moonset. The 0–100 activity score rises during those periods and gets a boost near sunrise and sunset and around the new and full moon. Weather, water temperature and pressure often matter more. Sun and moon times are calculated in your browser from the lake's coordinates with standard astronomy formulas, shown in ET (America/New_York), and accurate to within a few minutes.

    Boat launches & access sites

    3 public access sites listed, 3 with a boat ramp or trailer launch.

    SiteTownOwnerTypeParkingFeeUsesMap
    Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be UsableElizabethPFBCBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating40.2114, -76.3192
    Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be UsableElizabethPFBCBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating40.2087, -76.3173
    Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be UsableElizabethPFBCBoat ramp · Yes ramp—No feeBoating40.2041, -76.3096

    PFBC fishing and boating access points

    Fees, hours and rules change; confirm with the site owner before you go.

    Contact & official info

    Questions about Speedwell Forge Dam

    How big is Speedwell Forge Dam?

    Speedwell Forge Dam covers about 95 acres in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania (Lancaster County).

    What fish are in Speedwell Forge Dam?

    Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission lists Largemouth bass, Black crappie, White crappie, Bluegill and Channel catfish.

    Is there a public boat launch on Speedwell Forge Dam?

    Yes. 3 public trailer launches are listed: Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be Usable, Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be Usable and Speedwell Forge Lake - May Not Be Usable. Check posted fees and parking rules.

    Are there campgrounds near Speedwell Forge Dam?

    Yes. We list 19 campgrounds and RV parks within 15 miles, 2 of them within 5 miles.

    What towns are on Speedwell Forge Dam?

    Speedwell Forge Dam touches Elizabeth in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

    Share a tip or fishing report

    Know Speedwell Forge Dam? Tell us about the launch, parking, where they're biting or anything a first-time visitor should know. Tips go privately to the LakeRipple editor; nothing is posted automatically. Helpful tips may be featured on this page (we'll use your first name only if you give one).

    Lakes & ponds nearby

    Straight-line distance between lake centers. All Pennsylvania lakes & ponds · All waters in Elizabeth