Rogers Lake, Lyme and Old Lyme

Transect Data | Water Data

Rogers Lake is a 260-acre lake straddling the Lyme/Old Lyme line, with a state-owned boat launch. The launch is at the end of a long, stream-fed cove, which opens to an area in the middle of the lake that is less than 6 feet deep. On either side of this shallow area to the north and south are deeper basin areas, dotted with islands. The average depth of the lake is 19 feet, with a maximum of 63 feet in the northern section. The shoreline is almost all developed by private residences, with one town park on the south shore.

Our July 2006 survey found 31 aquatic species including one invasive species: variable-leaf watermilfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum). It was found mainly in the shallow boat launch and middle area, and also fairly extensively along the entire shoreline. Curlyleaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus), an invasive species that had been previously reported, was absent possibly because it is most prolific in the spring.   

  The narrow cove by the boat launch is filled with small patches of every species listed in the table below, with sizeable patches of variable-leaf watermilfoil.  Moving out into the shallow area of the lake there is a similar highly diverse population of plant life around the shoreline and the shores of the islands. Large patches of variable-leaf watermilfoil extend out at least to the middle of the center section. Spreading out from the center, both to the north and south, there is an abundance of southern naiad (Najas guadalupensis) in the shallow areas, intermingled with white water lily (Nymphaea odorata), watershield (Brasenia schreberi), and many other species.

The shoreline along the southern basin of the lake is also very diverse, with abundant variable-leaf watermilfoil between the southern-most island and the shore. This is intermingled with some Robbins' pondweed (Potamogeton robbinsii) and many other plant species which extends a short distance to the east.  Significant patches of Robbins' pondweed are also found on the western shore of the south cove, growing mainly with southern naiad.

The northern basin is approximately twice as large as the southern basin. The main part of the basin is lightly vegetated with southern naiad and charaphyte along the shoreline. To the northwest, however, the lake narrows, and the shoreline is so densely vegetated that in several places paths have been raked to gain access to docks. Variable-leaf watermilfoil is found in small patches along all parts of this shoreline, there are significant amounts of Robbins' pondweed along the southern and western shore.