Difference between a Pond vs. Lake - river vs. a creek

[Creel Limit Zero]

Hey all, I noticed in one of the threads a disagreement between what is a pond and what is a lake.  I've always been very curious what the correct definition is.  I've heard all sorts of definitions of a pond, 1 acre or less is a pond, 100 acres or less is a pond, anything small enough to cross without a boat is a pond, etc...  There are alot of different definitions, but none that convinced me what was correct or not.  I had the same thoughts on what was a stream and what was a river and what was a creek.  I always thought it was, a creek flows into another river, a river flows into a body of water.  Seemed like a simple enough concept to believe, but never knew for sure.  Decided today to see if I could find the correct answer, if one even existed.
I stumbled upon the USGS, US Geological Survey whose mission is quoted from their site as follows. 

Mission: The USGS serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.

Vision: USGS has become a world leader in the natural sciences thanks to our scientific excellence and responsiveness to society's needs.

Anyway, here is what I found on their FAQ's # 18.  Apparently I wasn't the first to ask this question.  Here is the link for reference.

http://geonames.usgs.gov/faqs.html#18

In short, it says there are no official definitions for generic terms like pond and lake, only organizational defintions of the terms that are application driven.  So when you may have heard the 1 acre limit between lake and pond from your local organization is the definition, or it was 10 acres, this definition was created for a certain application that the organization deemed necessary to define this as a lake or pond.  It also went on to state that no one office definition has been deemed official.

Guess they are all correct answers, but according to the site, no difference between hill and mountain too.  So next time you climb a 5 foot hill in your backyard, you can say you climbed a mountain today for exercise.   

[Dug]

 

After I read this I had to do some lookin up myself.  What I found was
a Pond was defined and a small Lake and
a Lake was defined as larger than a pond.

I say we start a movement.  If you cast cast from one side to the other, it's a pond.  If it's further than a long cast, it's a lake... 

What do you think??

DOug

[Dug]

Then again, there is this explanation posted on the
EPA website    http://www.epa.gov/bioindicators/aquatic/lake-r.html

Lakes                          Ponds

Larger                         Smaller

Deeper                        Shallower

May have dramatically    Top and bottom waters
different temperatures   generally have the
from the surface to        same temperature
the bottom waters

Affect local climate        Tend to be greatly
if large enough              affected by local climate.
   

[Creel Limit Zero]

I like your first definition, if you can cast across it, it's a pond.  Only thing is, some can cast farther, so it could be a pond for one person and a lake for the next.   

[Dug]

Is there a distance casting contest?  What is the world record?

Therein lies our demarcation... 


Doug

[Dug]

world record cast

306yds 1ft 4ins


WOW!

[Fishaholic]

I say we start a movement.  If you cast cast from one side to the other, it's a pond.  If it's further than a long cast, it's a lake...

There's a major problem with that premise...as a shore fisherman, you should understand this one - there's plenty of lakes with area that technically, depending on where I'm fishing I can cast all the way across them...what are we casting with to make this determination? Inversely, I know of ponds that I can't cast across, but nonetheless, they're definitely ponds.

I'll stick with what I was told by my State when I used to manage a pond locally for a Community Group...and that is regardless of what name is given to a body of water, if it's under 100 acres, it's considered a pond and over a lake.

[Dug]

The current U.S. record, held by Lou "Big Lou" McEachern of Beaumont, Texas--a man who once threw a sinker over the Houston Astrodome--stands at 817 feet or 272 yards.

Doug

[Creel Limit Zero]

Steve Rajeff - tournament caster with a fly rod, once threw a golf ball 337 yards with a spey rod.  Neat article here.

http://www.flyfisherman.com/skills/rprajeff/

[Dug]

There's a major problem with that premise...as a shore fisherman, you should understand this one - there's plenty of lakes with area that technically, depending on where I'm fishing I can cast all the way across them...what are we casting with to make this determination? Inversely, I know of ponds that I can't cast across, but nonetheless, they're definitely ponds.

I'll stick with what I was told by my State when I used to manage a pond locally for a Community Group...and that is regardless of what name is given to a body of water, if it's under 100 acres, it's considered a pond and over a lake.

Well who am I to argue with a state that has defined the difference.  I will agree to that definition.  There are too many String Lakes that have no distance across but can be miles long. 

Doug

[silversalmon]

Rivers, sloughs, creeks, ponds, lakes, seas, as long as they have good fishin, the state can call them whatever they want too

[Fishaholic]

WTG silver, you got the winning answer!

[Creel Limit Zero]

    You got that right Silver.   

[Dug]

oh sure sure, bottom line, it's aaaallll about the fishing,.. 

Good call Silver.

Doug

[Sharon]

On the Fall River/Westport Ma line sits South Watuppa Pond. It is the reservoir for drinking water. People swim, boat and fish in it.. and it is 1283 Acres.. Im guessing its whatever they want to call it when they named it. In fact most water up there is called ponds.  When I moved to Fl, I got a good chuckle out of what they call lakes down here, because there are some smaller ones than our ponds up north.

[Lipripper]

Rivers, sloughs, creeks, ponds, lakes, seas, as long as they have good fishin, the state can call them whatever they want too

and that's what me said in that other thread 

[dimockcarp]

if i was on the english boards they call my lake the drink. Still a pond but deep enough to make you drink.... hmm wonder what they ment oh well lol. Anyways that is a good question, so what makes the difference of stream versus a creek?

[silversalmon]

Two great minds think alike LIP Wait, neither of us have our minds