Lake Drummond

Historic and scenic Lake Drummond is bowl-shaped with acid-stained water, due to the organic acids leaching into the water from surrounding swamp and peat soils. The lake pH normally ranges from four to five. This low pH severely limits the species of fish found there; the low nutrient levels limit the fish biomass. The lake has crappie, yellow perch, chain pickerel, flier, and bullhead catfish. Its best sport fishing is for crappie during the spring. Bowfin and longnose gar are the most abundant predator species in the lake. These grow to a large size and will offer a ‘heart-thumping’ fight if hooked. Lake Drummond is fairly large (3,142 acres) and, as such, can get very treacherous in strong winds. However, the lake is shallow (maximum depth six feet). Boating access to Lake Drummond is either by a feeder ditch off the Dismal Swamp Canal (east side of lake) or a road through the refuge from the west.

The closest state ramp to the feeder ditch is on the Dismal Swamp canal along Route 17, south of Deep Creek. It is approximately three miles up the ditch to a lock, and self-operated winch and rail, which can pull boats up to the lake. The lock is managed and serviced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.