Why Locals Avoid This Supposedly Haunted Long Island Lake At All Costs

On a sunny day, Lake Ronkonkoma is pure bliss: There's a beach, a playground, basketball courts, and a ring of woods along its 2.23-mile shore. You can use the free launch to put your boat in the placid waters, and if you have a fishing license, you can cast a reel while you're at it. Located in the geographic center of Long Island, New York, Ronkonkoma is the largest freshwater lake in the area, and it's a lovely place to spend the day, no matter what the season. There are lots of great stops nearby as well, including this beautiful destination that makes a great holiday escape from the busy city.

It's so lovely that you would never guess that Lake Ronkonkoma has a spooky reputation — and that many locals refuse to swim in its waters. Ronkonkoma is so modest in size that it could just as easily be described as a pond, yet somehow this suburban body of water claimed at least 160 lives between 1800 and the late 1970s. Nearly all of the victims were male, and according to legend, there's a reason for that.

Lake Ronkonkoma has long been tied to an eerie colonial folktale: In the 17th century, an Indigenous princess of the Setauket nation fell in love with a settler. When her father forbade their union, the princess — who is often identified as Princess Ronkonkoma — eventually ended her own life on the lake. Her lovesick spirit allegedly lures men into the water, like a cross between an ancient Greek siren and Jason Voorhees. 

That isn't the only paranormal tale to mar Ronkonkoma's reputation. There have also been reports of a mysterious whirlpool in the middle of the lake, as well as a long-held belief that the water goes down forever: Anglers claimed to release as much as 1,000 feet of fishing line without ever touching the bottom. Officially, Ronkonkoma has a maximum depth of 65 feet, which is impressive given how flat Long Island is. Some have suggested that abrupt drop-offs on the lake's floor account for the conspicuous number of drownings. These strange qualities make Lake Ronkonkoma a good contender for the most haunted places in America to visit, if you dare.

Long Island has plenty of creepy local legends to go around. The spirit of a heartbroken caretaker is said to haunt the Fire Island Lighthouse, and the cries of a woman — murdered by redcoats during the American Revolution — can reportedly be heard in the Country House Restaurant in Stony Brook Village. You also wouldn't be the first to spot a spectral man in a top hat in the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport, or see the face of a young girl in one of the windows of Stony Brook University's 18th-century windmill. That said, Lake Ronkonkoma stands out for the story's direct connection to documented fatalities. There's even a 32-foot-tall statue of the princess on the park's grounds linking the lore to the deaths.

Campfire tales aside, there's a lot to love about Long Island, including the Hamptons, dozens of wineries, and 1,180 miles of shoreline, much of it public beach. Urban New Yorkers regularly retreat to Long Island, especially at the height of summer, and you don't have to be a millionaire to visit this Long Island village with scenic stretches of sand and small-town seaside charm.