Easy paddling on the deepest natural lake in New Jersey.
Small lake with an easy launch and the chance to see small airplanes taking off and landing at a local airport.
Miles: 2.6. Perimeter of the lake. Lake Size: 119 acres. Average Depth: 40′.
| Miles 2.6 | Detailed instructions, photos, and video follow below. |
| Park info | Kittatinny Valley State Park |
| Nearby kayak | Twin Lakes (within the park); White Lake Kayak. |
| Nearby hike, same park | Kittatinny Valley State Park |
| Nearby | Paulinskill Valley Trail – Cedar Ridge to Aqueduct; Paulinskill Valley Trail – Warbasse Junction to Cedar Ridge; Great Valley Trail Loop; Mahlon Dickerson/Beaver Brook to Lost Lake; Allamuchy Mountain S.P. North; Allamuchy Pond Trail; Swartswood S.P. – Spring Lake; Swartswood Grist Mill. |
Our two cents:
Pleasant short paddle with a very easy launch area. A small airport is located within Kittatinny Valley State Park so you may luck out and see small planes coming in and out.
Bonus: Lots of hiking and biking (both rail trail and mountain) available in the park too.
Updated: 10/2026 – Minor edits, added photos; re-kayaked.
Parking: N41.00987° W74.73458°
Lake Aeroflex Parking and Boat Ramp, 265 Limecrest Rd, Newton, NJ 07860. If approaching from Rt. 206 N, turn R on Limecrest Road just past a gas station. After about a mile turn L into the entrance for Lake Aeroflex at the intersection of Limecrest Road & Lake Aeroflex Road.
Note! If “Lake Aeroflex” or “Kittatinny Valley State Park” is entered for GPS or online maps it will direct to the main entrance for Kittatinny Valley State Park… but the park road doesn’t connect through to the kayak launch due to the airport runway. Be sure to approach via Limecrest Road.
Pass the parking lot on the right to drop the boat at the launch, then return to the lot to park.
Restrooms:
Bathroom building off of the parking lot (not open until 8 am; possibly seasonal). Gas station at the corner of Limecrest & Rt. 206, QuickChek etc along Rt 206.
Book:
Appears in Quiet Water New Jersey (2010).
Note: Our go-to kayaking book is Quiet Water New Jersey (2010), available as an e-book or a used printed book.
The newer version is “Quiet Water Mid-Atlantic (2018)”. This contains 13 of the 52 locations in the New Jersey-only book and is available both in printed and online formats.
Related: Kayaking NJ overview page.
Launch:
Easy peasy wide sand and gravel area with a gradual grade into the water and no rocks or obstructions to deal with. There is also a dock. Unoad your kayak and then return to the lot to park your vehicle.
The Route:
We went counter-clockwise around the lake but one way isn’t better than another. On our 10/2026 paddle we got to enjoy bright fall color ringing the lake.
On our 8/2020 paddle we encountered a lot of early morning fog.
Meandering along the shore through some lily pads and more fog. For the most part the lake has a remote feel.
Fun Facts: The deepest natural lake in New Jersey with a depth up to 110′ feet. Formerly known as New Wawayanda Lake. [Source: Park website].
A large fallen tree sporting an impressive spider web.
Within Kittatinny Valley State Park is Aeroflex-Andover airport so there might be small planes flying over the lake as they take off – not something you see everyday and pretty cool.
Eventually the lake narrows and bends so that it almost looks like it ends – but it doesn’t. Pass under power lines.
There are just a few houses along the lake. I’d read in the 2010 edition of Quiet Water there is a creek flowing into the lake to the left of the house and it could be paddled up a bit if conditions are favorable. Nothing was visible in 2020 and again in 2026 so I’d assume that info is outdated.
At the very far corner of the lake we spotted a beaver lodge which I don’t recall being there last time. At this point a bald eagle started circling overhead – always a fun spotting – but he was too far up to get a clear photo.
After rounding around the end of the lake, pass back under the power lines. Cormorants were hanging out in tall dead trees. They were still hanging out in the same spot in 2026.
After the power lines, the hiking trails at Kittatinny Valley State Park are just beyond the trees on the western shore of the lake. The water is often very clear and you might spot fish and turtles swimming by.
Eventually pass the remains of old park structures like these concrete steps going down to lake level.
Aeroflex-Andover Airport comes into view when returning to the launch.
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Kayaked 10/10/26.
Kayaked 8/9/20.