# Lake Dorothy in Norton



## George Strauch (May 8, 2017)

Does anyone know when Lake Dorothy was created? I know HOW it was made, by damming up Hudson Run, but I was wondering if anyone knew the time frame. On 1910 Summit County maps, only Hudson Run is shown. I seem to think that the dam was built in the 40s, at about the time PPG was opening the limestone mine. Anyone?


----------



## Steel-Addicted (Apr 24, 2016)

I used to work at PPG in the 70's and into the early 80's. I'm not positive, but I think your time frame is pretty close. Used to be a great place to fish and could rent a boat for $1/day.


----------



## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

I grew up fishing those lakes. Dad worked at PPG up till '73 when they closed the mine and soda ash plant. We would rent a row boat and fish the upper lake. When I was a teen I fished the upper and smaller lakes and the pond below the dam. Spent summers wading out there. Quit fishing there about 2004. Norton was on a kick making too much money off the tickets they were issuing. Officer Nagy The kids who broke into the spillway building and opened the value almost draining the lakes ruined the fishing and the security situation for everyone. I live a 5 min walk from the dam.


----------



## George Strauch (May 8, 2017)

I owned a house on Shannon at the bottom of the hill. I always wondered what would happen to us on low ground if that dam broke ! I remember reading about the kids opening the gates, but I guess most of the water followed Hudson Run into Columbia Lake, then into the Tusc River. Thanks for the replies. I retired from B&W, so no fishing at L-Dorothy for me. Any idea how deep the main lake is?


----------



## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

The deepest part of the lake is about 20-22'. It is at the southern portion of the RR tracks that bisect the lake where the culvert runs beneath the tracks. That was a great spot on either side of the tracks especially when the current was flowing though the culvert.

When those kids opened the gates the area where the apartments are now on South Ave flooded pretty good.


----------



## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

My second home when growing up during the 60's. (Grew up near Waltz Park/Johnson Corners area and hiked a many a day to & from LD. Lake was built in late 30's. Lots of good memories of fishing & camp fires.


----------



## Seaturd (Apr 14, 2004)

We used to park at Milich's and sneak back to LD when I was a kid. Great crappie lake and used to catch trout when they released them.


----------



## MIRROCRAFT (Apr 23, 2014)

My great grandfather used to take me fishing there. He worked in the mine there.
I would love to fish there again. Is there a way to get permission for fishing?
Did the lake draining ruin the fishing?


----------



## sealevel (Mar 16, 2018)

Was poking on google looking at the lime lake status and stumbled here - grew up on 30th st in the 60's, hook up with my friends, grab the coleman lanterns and a bucket full of minnows, walk the EL tracks to the culvert tube and catch crappies like the dickens all night. Some of the best days/nights ever. One time coming back Perry Milich saw our 3 full stringers walking past the village inn, gave us 30bucks for all of them, cool! more minnows to fish with... best days...


----------



## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

sealevel said:


> Was poking on google looking at the lime lake status and stumbled here - grew up on 30th st in the 60's, hook up with my friends, grab the coleman lanterns and a bucket full of minnows, walk the EL tracks to the culvert tube and catch crappies like the dickens all night. Some of the best days/nights ever. One time coming back Perry Milich saw our 3 full stringers walking past the village inn, gave us 30bucks for all of them, cool! more minnows to fish with... best days...


Welcome to OGF great first post ! Tom


----------



## sealevel (Mar 16, 2018)

Saugeye Tom said:


> Welcome to OGF great first post ! Tom


Thanks Tom! Its been forever since I've been there, did the fishing ever recover from the vandal debacle after the flood gate openings? Also heard that the septic sewage leaks from the residential areas didn't do it any good either..... :-(


----------



## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

Looking for the lime lakes #1 and #2 sealevel that they just announced they are reclaiming?

Good times and memories back at Lake Dorothy. Remember the rope hanging off the big tree on the hill up from the spillway? We used to get some air time off that rope!
Slipping down the spillway algae slime into the pond below? Just had to watch for the broken beer bottles some dumb*** drunk threw down into the spillway so you didn't get sliced up.
Crappies at the culvert... We would net our minnows under the bridge by Durbins before heading out to the lake to catch them crappies.
Remember the little bright yellow electric car Milich had behind the Village Inn in the late 70s and 80's?
Me and a few friends would float inner tubes from the pond all the way to where the apartments are now on South Avenue. It was a great way to kill time and stay cool on a hot summer day.

If anyone ever checked my gps coordinates on my profile, it the pumphouse on the dam at Lake Dorothy.


----------



## sealevel (Mar 16, 2018)

Yeah I remember the rope... we got our crawdad's under the cleve-mass bridge, fished for carp just west of that bridge, big ones, dad would take them to work at seiberling, the guys loved him. Sunfish and creek chubs all up and down that creek. Ricky Milich's little bananna car, they were a hoot to work for in the early 70's plus all the free chicken you could eat. Never slid down the spillway, but fished that bottom fill pond a ton... 
Those lime lakes were a prime target shooting spot back in the day, last time back fences everywhere around the them and lake dorothy, if I were a kid again think I'd figure a way to wiggle in thou, but today that would probably get me in juvenile prison....


----------



## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

Something happened to the dam gate yesterday. Localized flooding downstream by the apartments on South Ave. Lake Dorothy looks about halfway drained as of last night. No word if PPG or someone else opened the gate at the dam. Kiss that lake and fishing goodbye. 

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news...dorothy-dam-could-cause-flooding-in-barberton


----------



## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

https://www.barbertonherald.com/2020/08/12/stuck-flood-gates-launch-flooding-worries/


----------

