Cranberry Glade Lake,# 404 on the Pa. Fish and Boat Commission map.This is a 112-acre Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Lake located eight miles south of Confluence off route 3003. The lake itself is nestled in Pennsylvania Game Commission Lands No. 111 which is also an excellent area for hunting. Electric motor boats only on commission controlled lakes. This lake is out of the way, but one of the very few lakes in Pennsylvania with standing timber in the water. Cranberry Lake is a shallow lake that has standing timber and a good population of large largemouth bass. What more could a largemouth bass fisherman want?  (Fact: There are some 32 named tributaries within the Middle Youghiogheny River Corridor and Cranberry Glade Lake is a part of these.)
History:
A portion of Laurel Run had been renamed to Cranberry Glade Run which is the stream dammed to flood a section of land with standing timber and stumps to form the lake. The run has beautiful large stones with cascading white water which contains native trout. Some of the pools were quite large. The stream turned red as it was polluted a number of years after being dammed to form the lake. The pollution was tannic acid from the trees that were flooded. After several years, the pollution had dissipated on its own and the native trout  population had returned. 

The lake is located in Lower Turkeyfoot Township. The township had been named by the Indians who scouted for George Washington on his mission in 1753 to build a fort at Pittsburgh. The Susquehannock Indians were the first native american tribes to settle in this area. For those interested in our Native American ancestors, click here to view the map of the tribes who settled across the United States.
Quick facts:
#404 - Cranberry Glade Lake (PGC) on Somerset County map. Cranberry Glade Lake Access
 Eight miles south of Confluence off Route 3003.
Hours of operation: 24/7
Electric motors only
Shore fishing
Parking - large lot (10 vehicles or more)
Beach-type or unpaved ramp
Primary boating - shallow-draft lightweight fishing boats, canoes and inflatables
Fish Species:
Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Bass and a variety of panfish can be found at Cranberry Glade Lake. It is especially well known for its large mouth bass population. With the stumps and timber, it is an excellent habitat. The lake also remains one of the best winter ice fishing spots in this area of Pennsylvania. Due to the shallow nature of the water, it freezes quicker than deeper waters. But it also thaws faster in the spring. Statewide regulations for Commonwealth Inland Waters apply for all species of fish.
Boating:
Boating is limited to boats powered by electric motors and un-powered boats. There is a launch ramp and associated parking facilities. More access information is available on the Somerset County map. Un-powered boats may be moored at the lake in accordance with Commission property regulations. To be used at the lake, boats must be registered or have a valid launch permit (permits are issued by the Commission or PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources). 

 

Location: Six miles north of Confluence on Legislative Route 55021. View Somerset County map.

Pennsylvania Lakes: Map and listing show lakes, reservoirs and dams owned and/or managed by the Commission (PFBC), Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR) and United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Click on icons on map and links in the listing to view feature pages for that water. The listing includes additional lakes (non PFBC, DCNR, USACE). Map locations are approximate, some had to be moved slightly because of overlap. 

It was origionally what its namesake implies - a cranberry glade - unfortuntately the unique flora of that place was flooded out when the lake was built sometime in the mid Twentieth Century. Yet remnants persist in wet areas of sphagnum moss arround the lake - carnivorous sundews and bog club moss - marsh St. John's wort, a variety of sedges and rushes. In shaded areas along the shore there is skunk cabbage, thick clumps of cinnamon fern and large drifts of New York fern and carpets of pincushion moss that covers the banks above the wet sphagnum zone. If it were not outside the range - spotted turtles would gladly make their home here.

Cranberry Glade Lake is right now still a well balanced aquatic system and the plants are just abundant enough to enhance the fish habitat without choking the lake with rampant growth. 
Hunting:
State Game Land 111: 6.5 miles - From Draketown, go north on LR 3003 approximately ¾ mile to the first road on the left (a game land road). This designated road continues up the hill and meanders in the game land (do not take the several access points leave the game land on this section) approximately 1 mile to a Tee. The left fork continues on to the Augustine Road at the Fayette County Line a little over a mile. The right will follow a main game land road for approximately 4 miles to a parking area on the Jersey Hollow Road T803. The designated route crosses the Jersey Hollow road and continues to another Tee where the left continues back to the Jersey Hollow Road at a gate near the Fayette line and the right will continue on to a parking area/gate on Angler’s Road T802. Just before reaching the parking area, a designated road has a spur to the north for approximately ½ mile to Cranberry Glade Lake.
Aerial & location maps of Cranberry Glade Lake 
Wind Power:
In recent years, Somerset County has brought modern technology to the area by allowing Somerset Wind power LLC. to install and use Wind Power Generators. Exelon Power Team has a 20 year contract with Somerset Wind power, LLC.to purchase the output of a 9-megawatt (MW) wind farm located in the county. The landscape on the north ridge of Cranberry Glade Lake is spotted with huge white propellors that sit on top of 210-foot-tall towers and have a rotor diameter of 231 feet. 

They are somewhat graceful in appearance but to those of us not yet accustomed to seeing these towers, compare them to something alien. But as large and dynamic as the towers are, they do not take anything away from the natural beauty of the landscape and the mountains and contribute to making it even more interesting to look at.
I would like to give a special thanks to Mr. William R. Horgos of West Elizabeth, Pa. for supplying us with these photographs from his own private collection. If you would like to see more photos of the area, please go to Bill's Homepage.
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