Physical Features:
Elevation: 10 feet
Area: 20 acres
Shoreline Length: 1.24 miles
Maximum depth: 17 feet
Town: Hempstead
Access:
Access is through a Town of Hempstead Preserve.
Directions: Upper Twin Pond is located just west of the Wantagh State Parkway and north of Lower Twin Pond. Take the Wantagh State Parkway south to Exit W5 (Sunrise Highway) west. At the first traffic light make a right onto Old Mill Road. Go past one stop sign and make a right onto Park Avenue. Park on the south side of the road. Upper Twin Pond is north of Park Avenue.
Restrictions: Boats are prohibited, but shoreline access is available. Preserve closed from dusk to dawn.
Fish Species:
Largemouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black Crappie, Yellow Perch, Carp, Brown Bullhead, American Eel, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout.
Fishing:
Upper Twin Pond is the second most fished water in Nassau County. It gets a barrage of anglers during the spring and fall due to the trout stockings. Largemouth bass are plentiful in the lake. Since the Nassau County catch and release only black bass season went into effect (1998), the bass population has responded and is now the best bass fishing lake in Nassau County. Bass in the 15 to 18 range are common with some elusive 20+ inch fish thrown in. The sunfish are plentiful with many fish larger than six inches. There are chain pickerel in the pond, but they tend to be on the small side with few fish reaching over 15 inches. Like Lower Twin Pond, just to the south, be prepared to fish around the weeds through the summer months.
Regulations:
Special Fishing Regulations Apply
Health Advice on Eating Fish You Catch:
Visit NYS Department of Health website for health advice on eating fish you catch.
Sweetwater Angler Profile of Upper Twin Pond (Spring/Summer 1999):
Upper Twin Pond has a long history. At some point in the past, Bellmore Creek was dammed at Park Avenue to create the south basin of Upper Twin Pond. During a 1938 fisheries survey, largemouth bass, yellow perch, American eel, golden shiner, brown bullhead, redfin pickerel, banded killifish, pirate perch and the eastern mudminnow were captured. During the early 1950's, the north basin of Upper Twin Pond was constructed, presumably for fill for either the Wantagh State Parkway or Forest Pond School. This basin is substantially deeper than the lower basin, reaching a maximum depth of about 17 feet.
Upper Twin Pond has had an electrofishing survey conducted on it biannually since 1992. Fish species collected during these surveys that were not collected in 1938 include black crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, brown trout, rainbow trout, goldfish and the common carp. Species collected in 1938 that were not collected during the 1990's surveys include yellow perch, pirate perch and eastern mudminnow. The data collected during the survey in the 1990's was critical in the decision making process of creating the Nassau County no-kill bass regulation. Upper Twin Pond always seems to have good numbers of bass in the 6 to 8 inch size class, but very few of those fish seem to make it to 12 inches. Exploitation (harvesting of fish) seemed to be the only reasonable explanation for the lack of bass over 12 inches, hence the no-kill regulation. The bluegill and black crappie populations in Upper Twin Pond, however, are the highest quality populations in Nassau County.
When fishing Upper Twin Pond, keep the biology of the fish you are targeting in mind. If you are targeting trout, spend your time in the north basin during the first week or two during the season (the trout are stocked into the north basin). After that, the trout should have moved into the south basin. Later on in the season, key in on the drop-off areas, especially off the sand delta near the northern inlet on the east side of the pond. The water in these areas will be cooler, however, you will need waders to fish effectively off the inlet (please be careful when wading). When targeting black crappie in the spring, key in on water 2 to 5 feet deep. The east shore of the south basin is best early, with the north shore of the island getting better as the season progresses. Don't forget the dam. I can usually tease a black crappie or two from the dam area when all else fails, however, you will need waders when fishing from the east side of the dam. All other species should be dispersed well throughout the pond.
