Harlem Meer – Man-made lake in Central Park's northeast corner — fishing, wildlife, and year-round recreation at the Davis Center
Catch-and-release fishing at Harlem Meer offers families an accessible urban angling experience in the northeast corner of Central Park. Children can fish from the shoreline, and the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center provides exhibits and community programs that welcome young visitors.
Two playgrounds sit near the shore of Harlem Meer, including the East 110th Street Playground rebuilt in 2013 with accessible equipment integrated into the landscape. Bernard Family Playground at East 108th Street offers additional play spaces with scenic water views and current safety standards.
Families visiting Harlem Meer can enjoy catch-and-release fishing, wildlife watching for turtles and ducks, and seasonal programming at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center. Surrounding lawns and benches provide picnic space, while the nearby North Woods offers kid-friendly woodland walks.
The Davis Center at Harlem Meer features a new outdoor spray pad for summer, alongside a larger-than-Olympic-size swimming pool and a full-scale ice rink for winter. These facilities replaced the former Lasker Rink and Pool and offer year-round restrooms and amenities.
The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center on the north shore of Harlem Meer hosts environmental education and community activities for families. Opened in 1993, the 5,200-square-foot building was the first information hub at the north end of Central Park.
Red-eared sliders and other turtle species bask along the banks of Harlem Meer and swim close to shore, visible from surrounding benches and pathways. Visitors frequently spot them sunning on rocks or logs throughout the warmer months.
The North Woods surrounding Harlem Meer draws trained guides and amateur birders to spot diverse species among 40 acres of woodland. Conservancy-led birding tours explore the area's oak, bald cypress, beech, and ginkgo trees, while the Meer's island attracts black-crowned night herons.
Harlem Meer sits at the northeast corner of Central Park, removed from dense tourist traffic around Bethesda Terrace. A path lined with benches circles the 11-acre lake, passing through shoreline vegetation and offering views of the rocky Fort Landscape bluffs.
The Ravine and Loch in the North Woods connect to Harlem Meer via a restored historic watercourse. The Conservancy completed restoration of this landscape in 2017, reconstructing paths, rustic bridges, and the streambed while preserving the densely wooded valley.
An island in the southwest corner of Harlem Meer provides a protected retreat for waterfowl, particularly black-crowned night herons. The lake's edges attract ducks, geese, and other birds, while muskrats have established a resident population in and around the water body.
The approximately 0.75-mile circumference of Harlem Meer offers runners a compact, scenic loop at the park's north end, away from heavy foot traffic near Columbus Circle and the Reservoir. Benches and lawns line the path, providing spots to rest between laps.
The Davis Center at Harlem Meer provides a multi-use turf field called the Green for exercise, yoga, and informal sports. This outdoor space opened in 2025 as part of the restoration of the former Lasker Rink site, giving fitness seekers a dedicated area for movement near the lake shoreline.
Runners can circle Harlem Meer and continue south through the North Woods and Ravine, passing Huddlestone Arch and the restored Loch before connecting to other park paths. This route combines flat lakeside terrain with wooded trails and historic stone architecture.
The Davis Center at Harlem Meer hosts community events on the Green that include movement and fitness activities. The lawn and multi-use turf field welcome informal exercise, yoga sessions, and outdoor recreation with no ticket required.
The Fort Landscape south of Harlem Meer preserves the sites of military fortifications erected during the War of 1812, including stone ruins and earthworks. A self-guided Fort Landscapes Tour explains how this area anticipated a British invasion from the north.
Harlem Meer was completed in August 1866 as part of the park's Extension from 106th to 110th streets. Engineers excavated 109,500 cubic yards of earth and formed the lake bed with a clay liner and a weir to regulate seasonal water depths.
The Central Park Conservancy reconstructed Harlem Meer from 1990 to 1993, dredging 40,000 cubic yards of sediment and demolishing an abandoned boathouse. The team replaced the concrete perimeter curb with a natural shoreline and built the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center on the north shore.
The Lasker Rink and Pool opened in 1966 over the mouth of the Loch at Harlem Meer's southwest corner, serving as an ice rink in winter and Central Park's only swimming pool in summer. It was removed in 2021 to make way for the Davis Center, which restored the historic watercourse and expanded community access.
The Harlem Meer Performance Festival brings free outdoor music and cultural programming to the Dana Discovery Center on summer Sundays. The Davis Center also hosts year-round free community events featuring music, movement, art, and family-friendly activities designed with input from Harlem neighbors.
The Davis Center at Harlem Meer welcomes visitors with no ticket or reservation required, offering a place to meet friends, read, or grab coffee from Settepani on the Meer. The light-filled space opens onto the pool deck and is designed as a community-first destination.
The Conservancy prioritizes the needs of community-based groups throughout the design phase of north end projects. John Reddick, Director of Community Engagement Projects, describes the aim as enabling the community to be a full participant in the evolution of Park improvements.
Settepani on the Meer operates inside the Davis Center at Harlem Meer, serving pastries, espresso, and paninis with what the Conservancy describes as Italian warmth and Harlem flair. Indoor and outdoor seating provides views of the surrounding landscape.
Harlem Meer at the northeast corner of Central Park offers shoreline fishing for yellow perch, crappie, and other species. The lake is accessible year-round during park hours and provides one of the most convenient urban freshwater fishing experiences in Manhattan.
Anglers at Harlem Meer commonly catch yellow perch and crappie. Some have also reported the invasive Asian northern snakehead. The lake supports a diverse fish population that makes it a popular destination for urban freshwater anglers.
Harlem Meer offers convenient shoreline access in Manhattan with a varied fish population. Catch-and-release rules help maintain the ecosystem, and the surrounding park setting provides benches and scenic views for anglers waiting for a bite.
Fishing at Harlem Meer is catch-and-release only, and all fish caught must be returned to the water immediately. Anglers should handle fish gently and be aware that the lake contains both common species like yellow perch and invasive fish like the Asian northern snakehead.
Harlem Meer lies at the northeast corner of Central Park, west of Fifth Avenue and south of 110th Street, near the Harlem and East Harlem neighborhoods. The entrance at 199 Central Park North places visitors at the lake's northern shore, adjacent to the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center and the Davis Center.
Harlem Meer is open daily from 6:00 AM to 1:00 AM according to Google Maps. The surrounding parkland and pathways remain accessible during these hours, while specific facilities such as the Davis Center pool and ice rink operate on seasonal schedules.
Google Maps indicates a wheelchair-accessible entrance at Harlem Meer. The Davis Center was designed as a fully accessible facility, and the Conservancy's restoration work on surrounding playgrounds and paths has incorporated accessible routes and current safety standards.
Harlem Meer is located at the northeast corner of Central Park, accessible from 110th Street and Fifth Avenue. Visitors can use the subway to reach the 110th Street stations and walk south to the entrance at 199 Central Park North.
Visitors to Harlem Meer can fish from the shore on a catch-and-release basis, skate and swim at the Davis Center, picnic on surrounding lawns, walk the lakeside path, explore two playgrounds, and take Conservancy-guided tours of the North Woods and Fort Landscape. Seasonal programming includes the summer Performance Festival.
Swimming in the lake itself is not permitted, but the Davis Center at Harlem Meer opened in April 2025 with a larger-than-Olympic-size outdoor swimming pool and a spray pad for summer use. The facility also includes a full-scale ice rink for winter skating, replacing the former Lasker Rink and Pool.
The Central Park Conservancy offers several guided tours starting near Harlem Meer, including Birding Basics in the North Woods and Hidden Highlights of the North End. The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center also serves as a hub for visitor information and educational programming.
The Davis Center features a full-scale ice rink open during winter months, replacing the former Lasker Rink that operated from 1966 to 2021. The new facility opened in April 2025 and was designed to integrate more naturally into the landscape while providing enhanced skating opportunities.
A path lined with benches circles Harlem Meer, passing through shoreline vegetation and lawns ideal for picnicking and sunbathing. Visitors can relax while enjoying views of the rocky Fort Landscape bluffs and the surrounding oak, bald cypress, beech, and ginkgo trees.
Harlem Meer hosts red-eared slider turtles, muskrats, ducks, geese, and various fish species. Black-crowned night herons use an island in the southwest corner as a retreat, while the surrounding North Woods supports birds and small mammals in the woodland habitat.
Many of the turtles visible at Harlem Meer are red-eared sliders, a nonnative species that has become abundant in Central Park. These reptiles are frequently spotted along the banks and are identified as pet-store castoffs that have established a thriving urban population.
Harlem Meer contains yellow perch, crappie, and other freshwater species. Anglers have also reported catches of the invasive Asian northern snakehead. The diverse fish population supports catch-and-release fishing along the Meer's banks.
The Conservancy manages Harlem Meer as part of a connected water system from the Pool through the Loch to the Meer. Restoration work has included naturalizing the shoreline with Manhattan schist and wetland plantings, while the Ravine restoration improved habitat diversity for birds and small mammals.
Harlem Meer takes its name from the adjacent neighborhood of Harlem and the Dutch word for lake. The term connects to the area's Dutch colonial past, when northern Manhattan was part of the Dutch village of Nieuw Haarlem.
Construction of Harlem Meer was completed in August 1866 as part of Central Park's Extension from 106th to 110th streets. Engineers excavated 109,500 cubic yards of earth and formed the lake bed with a clay liner and a weir to regulate seasonal water depths.
Before Central Park's creation, the site of Harlem Meer was a semi-brackish tidal marsh fed by Harlem Creek and Montayne's Rivulet, draining slowly into the East River. The marsh separated Harlem to the north from southern Manhattan and forced the Boston Post Road to divert around it.
Harlem Meer was reconstructed from 1941 to 1947 with a new boathouse, declined through the 1970s, and underwent major restoration from 1990 to 1993. The 1966 Lasker Rink reduced the lake to approximately 11 acres, and the 2025 Davis Center restoration reconnected the historic watercourse.
The Davis Center is a recreation and community facility that opened in April 2025, replacing the former Lasker Rink and Pool. It features a full-scale ice rink, larger-than-Olympic-size pool, outdoor spray pad, indoor gathering space, cafe, and boardwalk through freshwater marsh plantings.
The Davis Center at Harlem Meer was completed and opened on April 26, 2025. The Central Park Conservancy announced the project in 2018 and named the facility in November 2024.
The Davis Center at Harlem Meer provides year-round restrooms, a cafe called Settepani on the Meer, an indoor gathering space requiring no ticket or reservation, community event spaces, and guided park tour departures. Outdoor amenities include the Green for recreation and a boardwalk along the marsh edge.
The transformation of the Lasker Rink and Pool site into the Davis Center at Harlem Meer cost approximately $160 million. The New York Times reported the figure in April 2025, describing the project as a major investment in Central Park's north end designed to increase community access.
The Harlem Meer Performance Festival is a free summer concert series held on Sunday afternoons near the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center. The festival features music and cultural performances for the surrounding community and is among the signature seasonal events at the north end of Central Park.
The Davis Center at Harlem Meer hosts free, family-friendly community events year-round featuring music, movement, art, and more. The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center also offers seasonal environmental education programs and public festivities designed for neighbors and visitors of all ages.
The Davis Center at Harlem Meer offers event bookings ranging from small gatherings to full facility rentals. Organizers can inquire through the Davis Center website, which lists options for community events, private functions, and programs at the Green and indoor gathering spaces.
The Central Park Conservancy publishes upcoming events on its official website and through the Davis Center at Harlem Meer. Visitors can follow the Davis Center on Instagram for announcements about seasonal programs, community gatherings, and facility updates.
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